<p>In a recent census, 6,488 children with special needs (specially-abled) have been identified in the age group of 6-14 years in the district.<br /><br />According to the district office of Sarva Shikshana Abhiyan (SSA), the census conducted in November 2011 recorded the aforementioned special children against 5,281 in 2010. Among them orthopaedically impaired (OI) stand high at 1,265, immediately followed by low vision (LV) 1,060, speech impaired (SI) 1,036, mental retardation (MR) 897, multiple disability (MD) 846, hearing impaired (HI) 739, learning disability (LD) 431, total blind (TB) 149, cerebral palsy (CP) 43 and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) 22.<br /><br />The numbers in total will further increase if taken into count the total number of persons with disabilities covered during the census from three to 18 years old. A total of 9,014 persons were identified including 5,358 men and 3,656 women. Here too OI cases top the list at 1934 with 1178 men and 756 women. Those in the age group of six to 10 years alone make for a total of 3,509 found with disorders: 511 LV, 67 TB, 369 HI, 602 SI, 660 OI, 499 MR, 504 MD, 261 LD, 25 CP and 11 ASD.<br /><br />An officer on condition of anoymity told Deccan Herald, it was for the first time teachers drawn from almost all the schools in the district went door-to-door to collate the data. In the earlier set up, the census was restricted to the schools itself. The recent one was held in different levels- from panchayats, clusters, blocks and finally district.<br /><br />When compared to the immediate past census there hasn’t be a huge difference. It could be due to the change in norms while recording the disabilities. For example: those wearing spectacles too were considered low vision. This year, the bespectacled persons have been dropped.<br /><br />The Union ministry of human resource development has devised programmes for the welfare of specially-abled. An amount of Rs 3,000 will be spent on each (6-14 years).</p>
<p>In a recent census, 6,488 children with special needs (specially-abled) have been identified in the age group of 6-14 years in the district.<br /><br />According to the district office of Sarva Shikshana Abhiyan (SSA), the census conducted in November 2011 recorded the aforementioned special children against 5,281 in 2010. Among them orthopaedically impaired (OI) stand high at 1,265, immediately followed by low vision (LV) 1,060, speech impaired (SI) 1,036, mental retardation (MR) 897, multiple disability (MD) 846, hearing impaired (HI) 739, learning disability (LD) 431, total blind (TB) 149, cerebral palsy (CP) 43 and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) 22.<br /><br />The numbers in total will further increase if taken into count the total number of persons with disabilities covered during the census from three to 18 years old. A total of 9,014 persons were identified including 5,358 men and 3,656 women. Here too OI cases top the list at 1934 with 1178 men and 756 women. Those in the age group of six to 10 years alone make for a total of 3,509 found with disorders: 511 LV, 67 TB, 369 HI, 602 SI, 660 OI, 499 MR, 504 MD, 261 LD, 25 CP and 11 ASD.<br /><br />An officer on condition of anoymity told Deccan Herald, it was for the first time teachers drawn from almost all the schools in the district went door-to-door to collate the data. In the earlier set up, the census was restricted to the schools itself. The recent one was held in different levels- from panchayats, clusters, blocks and finally district.<br /><br />When compared to the immediate past census there hasn’t be a huge difference. It could be due to the change in norms while recording the disabilities. For example: those wearing spectacles too were considered low vision. This year, the bespectacled persons have been dropped.<br /><br />The Union ministry of human resource development has devised programmes for the welfare of specially-abled. An amount of Rs 3,000 will be spent on each (6-14 years).</p>
