Financial Support

1. Introduction

The Persons with Disabilities Act 1995 indicates that disabled persons should have access to education at all levels. Though service to disabled children in India is more than 100 years old, the coverage of these children in the formal school system is not even 5 per cent. The report of manpower development published by the Rehabilitation Council of India reveals that more than 1,00,000 teachers will be needed in the next ten years to cater to the educational needs of disabled children in schools. Bachelor's and master's level teacher programmes are needed for preparing teachers to help disabled children realise the objective of education for all. The University Grants Commission (UGC) will support selected university departments and colleges of education in the country to offer special education, with financial assistance available under the programme of Integrated Education for Disabled Children by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, or within the available resources of the UGC.

The UGC had started the scheme of assistance to universities/colleges to facilitate Teacher Preparation in Special Education (TEPSE) and Higher Education for Persons with Special Needs (Differently-abled Persons) (HEPSN) during the Ninth Five-Year Plan, keeping in view the need to provide special education programmes as well as infrastructure to differently-abled persons. The infrastructure needs to be designed in a manner to enable them to easily access classrooms, laboratories, toilets, etc.

1. To encourage universities/colleges of education in the country to promote teacher preparation programmes in the field of special education.

2. To provide equal educational opportunities to disabled persons in higher education institutions.

3. To create awareness among the functionaries of higher education about the specific educational needs of persons with disabilities.

4. To equip higher education institutions with the facilities to provide access to disabled persons.

5. To provide appropriate financial assistance to disabled individuals to increase their sustainability in higher education.

6. To explore suitable placement opportunities for educated disabled graduates in public as well as private sector enterprises.

7. To monitor the implementation of all existing and future legislation and policies pertaining to higher education of persons with disabilities.
   This scheme is aimed particularly at:

   1. providing assistance to universities/colleges of education to start teacher preparation courses in special education at the B.Ed./M.Ed. level; and

   2. Creating appropriate facilities for persons with special needs in higher education.

1. The college/university department should have the approval of the Rehabilitation Council of India for starting the concerned teacher preparation programme in special education.

2. The college should have a model school where disabled children are admitted. In the absence of its own model school, the college should produce in writing the acceptance of a special/integrated school in the vicinity to function as a model school.

3. The college should have a minimum of five years of experience in running B.Ed. level teacher preparation courses.

4. The university/college applying for grant for any one of the activities of the scheme should have enrolled a minimum of 10 disabled persons, including physically handicapped, mentally retarded and visually impaired in the academic year.

5. The university/college should have constituted an expert committee involving faculty members from the university, experts in the field and persons with disabilities themselves. The committee should meet at least once a year to review the activities related to the concerned scheme(s).

6. Institutions applying for the scheme should have been approved by the UGC under sections 2(f) and 12(B).

1. The institution must have one professor or one reader and two lecturers to run a B.Ed. course; and one professor, one reader and three lecturers for an M.Ed. course in special education in any one of the specific disability areas with a minimum of 20 students and a maximum of 30.

2. Assistance from the UGC will be for the Tenth Plan period and the implementing institute should give an undertaking that it will continue the course with the assistance of the state government or generate its own resources to meet the expenditure of the course after the Plan.

3. The implementing institute should also provide extension services to the special schools and integrated schools to strengthen the quality of special education in those settings.

4. In addition to the salary grant, the UGC will provide a maximum of Rs.1,00,000/- per year per institute towards purchase of books, journals, special aids and appliances for its special education teacher preparation courses.

5. A mid-term evaluation may be carried out by the UGC.

1. Establishment of Special Units for Differently-abled Persons in Universities/Colleges
   
   

   It is a fact that uiversities and clleges are not fully aware of the needs of differently-abled persons in higher education. In order to develop awareness in the higher education system and also to provide necessary guidance and counselling to differently-abled persons, it is proposed to establish special units in universities/colleges in the country.
   The functions of this unit will be to:

   1. facilitate admission of persons with disability;

   2. provide guidance and counselling to differently-abled individuals;

   3. create awareness about the needs of persons with disabilities, and other general issues concerning disabilities; and

   4. assist disabled graduates to gain successful employment in the public as well as private sector.

   The special unit will be coordinated by a faculty member to be nominated by the head of the institution. He/she will work as honorary coordinator for which a token honorarium of Rs.3000/- per month will be paid. There is also a provision for the appointment of one honorary placement officer for the special unit from amongst the faculty members of the university, and he/she will be paid a token honorarium of Rs.2000/- per month.

   The coordinator and the placement officer will be assisted by a team of three student volunteers who will be paid a stipend of Rs.1000/- each per month. Honorarium for all categories will be paid from the date of joining. The unit will also have a budgetary provision of Rs.30,000/- per annum towards programmes, stationery, contingencies, etc., for efficient and independent functioning in order to achieve its objectives.The disability unit will also be involved in arranging awareness programmes on disabilities within the institute and also in other higher education institutes in their respective states. A budgetary provision of Rs.20,000/- per unit per year will be made by the UGC.
   In addition, the unit will also be responsible for the following:

   1. To circulate Government of India and Commission's decisions and to collect regularly, on an annual basis, information regarding course-wise admissions of differently-abled candidates in universities and colleges for different courses, and to take follow-up action, where required.

   2. To circulate Government of India and Commission's decisions, and to collect information with respect to appointments, training of persons with disabilities in teaching and non-teaching posts in the universities and colleges, and take follow-up action where required.

   3. To collect reports and information regarding Government of India orders on the various aspects of education, training and employment of differently-abled persons for evolving new policies or modifying existing ones.

   4. To analyse information so collected, under 1 to 3 above, and prepare reports and digests for onward transmission to the Ministry of Human Resource Development/UGC and any other authorities as may be required.

   5. To deal with representations received from differently-abled persons regarding their admission, recruitment, promotion and other similar matters in universities/colleges.

   6. To function as a unit to redress grievances of differently-abled students and employees of the institution, and render them necessary help in solving their academic as well as administrative problems.

   7. To maintain a register of employment for differently-abled persons for various posts in the respective universities/colleges.

   8. Any other work assigned from time to time to promote higher education among differently-abled persons. i. To do all such things as may be deemed conducive for the welfare of differently-abled students, teachers and non-teaching employees.

      
      
      

2. Providing Access to Persons with Disabilities

   It has been felt that persons with disabilities need special arrangements in the environment for their mobility and independent functioning. It is also a fact that many institutes have architectural barriers that disabled persons find difficult for their day-to-day functioning.

   The universities and colleges under this scheme are expected to address this problem according to the Persons with Disabilities Act 1995, and ensure that all existing structures as well as future construction projects in their campuses are made disabled friendly.

   The institutes should create special facilities such as ramps, rails and special toilets, and make other necessary changes to suit the special needs of differently-abled persons. For this purpose, the UGC will make a one-time grant of up to Rs.5 lakh per university/college.

3. Providing Special Equipment to Augment Educational Services for Differently-abled Persons

   Persons with disabilities require special aids and appliances for their daily functioning. These aids are available via various schemes of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. There may also be a need for special types of expensive equipment, which may need to be acquired by the institutes.

   Availability of devices such as low-vision aids, scanners, mobility devices, etc. in the institutes would enrich the educational experiences of persons with disabilities. Therefore, universities/colleges are encouraged to procure such devices. The UGC will provide an ad hoc one-time grant of up to Rs.3.0 lakh per university/college during the Tenth Plan period.