NGO REPORT

Survey of Schools for the Hearing Impaired

DEEDS India Charitable Trust

Faculty Guide: Prof. Sankalpa Bhattacharjee NGO Guide: Ms. Pratibha K Rao

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the Post Graduate Program in Management at TAPMI, Manipal by:

Submitted by: Anand Agarwal (09206) Anjali Naidu (09207) Dhaval Patel (09216) Nikitha Shetty (09228) Pushan Sharma (09129)

T.A.PAI MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE, MANIPAL, KARNATAKA-576 104

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the project report titled Survey of schools for the hearing impaired is a bonafide work carried out by Anand Agarwal, Anjali Naidu, Dhaval Patel, Nikitha Shetty and Pushan Sharma under my guidance for partial fulfillment of Post Graduate Diploma in Management.

Signature

Name of Faculty Guide: Prof. Sankalpa Bhattacharjee

Date:

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Acknowledgement We would like to take this opportunity to thank Ms. Pratibha K Rao, COO DEEDS, for assigning us this project. Her clear insight and guidance was very helpful throughout the course of the project. Apart from this, she also helped us in giving us a broad understanding of the organisation, its scope, present projects, and the functioning of the NGO as a whole. We would also like to express our deepest gratitude to Mr. Mohit. Throughout the project, he helped us in increasing the value of our work which ensured that the final output of our project met with the expectations of the management. We are extremely grateful to Prof. Sankalpa Bhattacharjee for extending his support for our project. His experience and knowledge helped us in fine tuning the quality of this project. Finally, we are very glad that our institution T. A. Pai Management Institute, Manipal gave us the opportunity to do this project and get sensitized to the social issues prevailing in our country. The project has definitely helped us shape a different outlook towards the society.

Sincere Thanks, (Anjali Naidu, Anand Agarwal, Dhaval Patel, Nikitha Shetty, Pushan Sharma)

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Sr.No. I II III IV i) ii) iii) iv) v) vi) vii) viii) ix) x) xi) xii) V VI

Title Introduction Executive Summary Objective & Methodology School Requirements Jhaveri Thanwala Karnabadhir Vidyalaya Samvaad Karnabadhir School Disha Karnabadhir Vidyalaya KDN Shruti School for the Deaf Dr. Kusum Tai Naravane School for the Deaf (Sadafule) Sanskardham Vidyalaya for the Hearing Impaired Rochiram Thadani School for the Hearing Handicapped Central Society for the education for the Deaf The Bombay Institute for the Deaf and Mute Shivaji Park Lions School for the Hearing Handicapped Vikas Vidyalaya for the Hearing Handicapped Utkarsha Mandal, Mookh Dhwani Vidyalaya Analysis Learnings & Recommendations Annexures Questionnaire Summary Of Findings Table

Page No. 5 7 9

10 13 16 18 19 21 23 25 28 30 32 34 36 39

A) B)

41 42

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Introduction
About Deeds Deeds Public Charitable Trust is an NGO based in Mumbai. It is an acronym for development, education, empowerment of the hearing disabled in the society. The organization was established in 2003, and is committed to helping persons with hearing impairment. Vision and Mission Statement of Deeds Mission Statement of Deeds -Dedicated attempt to empower the hearing impaired and provide a platform for their overall development and work towards their free education, progress and empowerment Vision of Deeds Our vision is to enrich and improve the quality of life of over 10,000 deaf persons by the end of this decade and make them financially self reliant and contributors in main stream society. Activities Undertaken by Deeds The Bajaj Institute of Learning The institute which is located in Dehradun provides free education to the hearing impaired children from Pre-Primary to Class 12th. The institute provides vocational training in various disciplines such as computer applications, tailoring and beauty. All schooling is conducted under NIOS pattern. This is the second school in India to offer education for the hearing impaired DEEDS Catering Institute This institute offers a one year catering course to the hearing impaired. This course enables the hearing impaired to study specific subjects so that they develop professional competence in culinary skills necessary for commercial food production and operation. They are given both theoretical and practical inputs and this is the first ever institute in Maharashtra. DEEDS-Ishara Initiative This is an English literacy course conducted at three centers in Maharashtra and 14 deaf schools all over Mumbai. The main aim is to work towards the academic achievements of the deaf children and adults in India and subsequently empower them through education at the tertiary level. The deaf are taught bilingually. The teachers are themselves hearing challenged which makes it easier for them to connect with the deaf students and provide job opportunities for the deaf.

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DEEDS Tailoring Institute at the LTMG ( Deaf School) The institute provides free training in the tailoring vocation. This course for the hearing challenged enables them to study this specific subject to develop competence in tailoring skills to empower them. DEEDS-Computer Institute at Samvad Karnabadhir Prabodhini (Deaf School) This institute imparts the basic and advanced skills in computers. There is a set up of 7 computers here on which those hearing challenged students are trained who are interested in making career in the computer industry. Deeds Placement In accordance with its mission to make the hearing impaired financially self reliant, DEEEDS pays special attention to involve them in the mainstream society. As a part of this endeavor, DEEDS has made efforts to place more than 40 candidates in different companies helping them to become economically self sufficient. Impressed with the determination and skill of the hearing impaired, many companies have come forward to employ these candidates thereby giving them a chance to live a life of confidence.

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Executive Summary
DEEDS Public Charitable Trust is an NGO based in Mumbai. It is an acronym for Development, Education, Empowerment of the Disadvantaged in Society. The organisation was established in 2003 and is committed to helping persons with hearing impairment. It began as the mission of a group of successful businessmen with the intention of giving back to society. They came together and realised their dream by forming the Bajaj Institute of Learning, Dehradun in 1999. Their dedicated attempt was to empower the hearing impaired and provide a platform for their overall development and work towards their education, progress and empowerment. This project was undertaken by the organization to understand the infrastructural & other functional requirements of the schools for the hearing impaired in & around Mumbai. By emphasizing on personal field visits, the authorities ensured that they got a real picture of the happenings in these schools & check if there was an optimal utilization of the resources donated to them by DEEDS in the past year. The scope of the project was restricted to schools in & around Mumbai, mainly due to time constraint. The study process started with understanding the functioning of an NGO, constraints they face as an organization and how different it is from the for-profit organizations which we usually study in academics. We were also given a briefing about deafness, as a disability & how it adversely impacts other senses of the body. This sensitized us to the technicalities of the impairment & the various aids used by the disabled. Sources of Data (In-Depth Interviews) DEEDS CEO & other Staff Psychologists from Ali Yavar Jung National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped Principals of 12 Govt. aided Schools for the Hearing Impaired Deaf Students studying at the schools

Findings The hearing impaired people can be inducted into mainstream work like backoffice operations, which involve minimal interaction. They are employable in sectors which require artistic skills like Jewellery Design, Beauty Salons, Masseurs as also sectors which entail mechanical or routine jobs like housekeeping, Hospitality, Diamond Assortment etc.

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DEEDS has helped most schools set up a Computer lab to facilitate teaching & achieve computer literacy. However, their maintenance was an issue for most schools. To resolve this, DEEDS can enter into a bulk deal with a single company, whereby they provide an annual maintenance contracts to all schools. This will ensure uniformity & also cost less. Most schools has transport (bus, van) vehicle donated by corporates to ferry the children to & from their home. However, they could not afford the running costs of the vehicle incurred due to fuel, driver, cleaner & general maintenance of the bus. DEEDS can sell the advertising space on the vehicle to companies on a contract basis & in return recover the running costs. English has become a pre-requisite for employment in any sector these days. The English Literacy program run by the Ishara Foundation of DEEDS has had a windfall success in the schools where it is currently run. The schools predominantly had Marathi as their medium of instruction & the syllabus for English language in these schools was very poor. We recommend that all schools be brought under the umbrella, because this is the only way in which the Marathi medium students can achieve a grip over the English language.

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Findings at each School

Name of School Jhaveri Thanawala Karnabadhir Vidyalaya Address Kesarwadi Premises, 2nd Floor, Station Road.,Thane (W) 400601 Person Contacted Contact Details

Mrs. Jaya Pradhan

9867679835/ 022-25334363

Strength of the School: 68 Students Number of teachers: The school has 9 teachers. The government appointed social worker (MSW) on board in the school is Ms. Neeta Mukherjee. She has been running separate classes for children who are in the age group of 3 -4 years with sign language as the medium of instruction. This is being done on an experimental basis and is in its 2nd year of operation. Ratio of Students: Teachers: 7.5 Media of education: Marathi Classes conducted: The school conducts classes for children from 1st to 7th Std, after which the students usually move to other schools according to their degree of hearing loss, like the one run by the Thane Municipal Corporation. The school coaches some students for the S.S.C. exam for the next 2 yrs after 7th std. Mode of funding (Government and private): The school is backed by the Sheth Jayantilal Tribhuvandas Thanawala Shikshan Mandal Trust and is fully government aided. Food: The students are given Rice Khichdi everyday. It is sponsored by the local municipality. Vocational training provided if any : No vocational courses are conducted in the school. Among the extra-curricular activities, students are trained in arts, craft and sports are pursued actively. The students are taken for swimming once a week every Friday. Students from the school have participated in few state-level Swimming competitions. The school had tied up with magicians to train the students on conducting magic shows. This was used as a means of revenue

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generation 2 yrs back. But, besides that no significant step has been taken in giving vocational training to the students to make them employable. Medical facilities provided to students: Periodical medical checkups are done. Besides this, the school also conducts regular Parent- Teacher meets to educate the parents on basic health & hygiene as well as other precautions that need to be taken for hearing impaired children. They are also given feedback on their pupils progress and the kind of support they should extend to help the children better adapt in the hearing world. There were no cochlear implant cases in the school. Most students used the Behind the Ear Hearing Aid donated by the trust. Feedback on students pursuing vocational training provided by DEEDS: The Ishaara English Language program run by DEEDS was started in the school a month ago i.e. August 2010. The classes which are run twice a week for students of 4th to 7thclass have been very beneficial to the students. Requirements of the school: Story books for the library ( in Marathi) Montessori materials like Puzzles & Building Blocks Educational CDs Currently the school has 5 computers, but would want to increase their number. Internet Connection

Details of students in urgent need of financial aid: Ms. Manasi Kolapkar (The school would get in touch with DEEDS regarding the medical treatment) Satisfaction level with DEEDS & ways in which DEEDS could further contribute: The Ishaara program run by DEEDS in this school, although only a month old, has received a good response from both the students & management. Since, there are no vocational courses conducted, DEEDS could help in inducting some of the students in their catering classes. The school has exhausted most of its space and hence cannot afford to run a fully functional Computer lab. Its current computer centre is bare minimal an teaching involves only the basics. DEEDS can arrange to conduct more advanced computer classes outside of the school for the graduating students so that they are ready for employment as Data Entry Operators. General Observations The school started in 1948 & its current facility is at least 40 yrs old. As such the building was dilapidated, with dinghy staircases and the classes were being conducted in make shift classrooms using partitions. The school had a major problem of lack of space. The trust has made some unsuccessful attempts in the past to relocate & is planning to redevelop the same
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property now. As a result, the school is unable to expand in terms of starting additional vocational courses or providing a fully functional Computer lab & library. As stated before, the school has a social worker (MSW specialized in HI) appointed by the governments Social Welfare Board, a feature not seen in any of the other schools visited in & around Mumbai. There seemed to be a clear dispute between the methods of teaching adopted by her & the school management. While she stressed on the importance of Sign Language, the school was of the opinion that a combination of Oralism & Sign Language was more beneficial as it helped the students better integrate into the hearing world. The level of English taught in the school is very basic and hence it not much of use for further employment. Besides, the school has only one English speaking teacher who manages all classes from 1st to 7th.

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Name of School Samvaad Karnabadhir School

Address Arogya Kendra, 2nd Flr, Kalu Nagar, Thakurwadi, Dombivli( W) Thane

Person Contacted Mrs. Chaya Ghatge

Contact Details 9920015631 / 0251 - 2490396

Strength of school: 50 students Number of teachers: 9 Teachers of which 6 are appointed by the government & 3 are appointed by the trust Ratio of Students: Teachers: 5.55 Medium of education: Marathi Classes conducted: Kindergarten to 7th Standard. After 7th, students are privately coached in the school to appear for SSC exam. Children who are inducted into schools at a later stage (7-8 yrs old) & hence miss out on the initial education Mode of funding (Government and private): The school is fully government aided & backed by the Samvaad Prabodhini Trust run by a group of women. Food: The students are given Rice everyday. It is sponsored by the trust via voluntary donors. Vocational training provided if any: Courses on Beauty treatment & Computers have been started this year. Medical facilities provided to students: Periodical medical check ups are conducted, but, no follow-up is being done. As a result, most students have turned anemic, lacking basic nutrition. Besides, the school conducts regular Parent- Teacher meets to educate the parents on basic health & hygiene as well as other precautions that need to be taken for hearing impaired children. They are also given feedback on their pupils progress & the kind of support they should extend to help the children better adapt in the hearing world. Most students used the rudimentary Pocket Hearing aids as they cannot afford the expensive BTE aids. These aids have been provided by the Trustee management.
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Feedback on students pursuing vocational training provided by DEEDS : The Ishaara English Language program run by DEEDS is run twice a week for all students. It has been beneficial as English language was inducted in the syllabus only this academic year. Earlier the focus had been only on Marathi. Requirements of the school : Net Connection Kyon multimedia device (IL&FS) to connect multiple systems like Monitor, projector, Video Cam etc. One of the alumnus of the school (hearing impaired) has been teaching for the past 10 years for a meager salary of Rs. 2000/-per month. The government is not ready to give him any kind of compensation. So, the school has requested for sponsors to fund his monthly pay of atleast Rs. 10000/- per month. Projector for the school Upgradation of the speech room Funds to start vocational courses like Confectionary , Electrical Repair work & Beauty Treatment Coaching The school trust has appointed a new teacher for language subject & needs funds to pay for his compensation

Details of students in urgent need of financial aid : The school could not share any information on any particular student, but the teachers were concerned about the general health of the students. Most students lacked basic nourishment. Satisfaction level with DEEDS & ways in which DEEDS could further contribute : The Ishaara program run by DEEDS in this school has received a good response from both the students and the management. The school has a computer lab set up by DEEDS and uses software designed by Aptech to impart knowledge. Aptech has also provided them with an instructor. However, maintenance of the systems is posing a problem due to lack of funds. In this regard, DEEDS can help the school by sponsoring their annual computer maintenance contracts. General Observations The school which started in 1992 has a major problem of lack of space. Earlier it operated from a chawl, and a few years back it moved to the current facility which is owned by the local municipal corporation. Yet, the trust has to pay a monthly rent of Rs.7000/-. The building was in a dilapidated condition and the classes were being conducted in make shift classrooms using partitions. As a result, the school is unable to expand in terms of starting additional vocational courses or providing a fully equipped library. The trust run by a group of women is not very influential & hence is struggling to raise funds.
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Students come from lower income groups & hence cannot afford the Behind the Ear hearing aids. They used the Pocket Hearing aids provided by the Governments Ali Yawar Jung National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped. The aids were in a poor condition in terms of hygiene. The teaching aids used in the school were out dated & were in desperate need of replacement. Most were second hand instruments donated by the Central School for the Deaf, Mumbai. Overall, the management did seem to be making efforts to keep the school running at all costs. They seemed dedicated in imparting education to the hearing handicapped children & used a variety of curricular & co-curricular means for the same ( e.g. Awareness about current events like Common Wealth Games , Ganesh Chaturti festival etc. was spread through art & craft )

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Name of School Disha Karnabadhir Vidyalaya

Address Nandkarni Balkalyan Kendra, Chitrakar Ketkar Marg, Near Dhanukar College VP (E)

Person Contacted Mrs. Anagha Kulkarni

Contact Details 26144183

Strength of schools: 59 Number of teachers: 7 Ratio of Students: Teachers: 8.4 Media of education: Marathi Classes conducted: From Kg to 10'th Mode of funding (Government and private): Government pays the staff salary and additional funds from Lok manya seva sangh & through donations collected from other private individuals Vocational training provided if any: Stitching, typing and computer course Medical facilities provided to students: Check ups every 3 months Feedback on students pursuing vocational training provided by DEEDS: The school is quite satisfied with the vocational training provided by DEEDS and hopes that DEEDS would continue offering support to their school through such courses. Requirements of the school: Need for 3 Induction Loops Need for 8 computers

Details of students in urgent need of financial aid: The school was unable to share information on any particular person in need of financial help. They feel that all students require financial assistance as they do come from low income households. Satisfaction level with contribution by DEEDS: The school is quite satisfied with the contribution that DEEDS has made towards their institution.

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Ways in which DEEDS could further contribute: The school wants DEEDS to help further by organizing medical camps & arranging for Mid day meals for the students and thereby look after the nutrition of the students. General Observations: The infrastructure of the school is quite poor, besides this the method used for teaching (through induction loops) is not very advanced as compared to the other schools. All the students are from a very poor financial background, and the requirements of induction loops as asked by the school should be fulfilled immediately as the students are facing a problem.

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Name of School KDN Shruti School for the Deaf

Address Suraj Ba Bhavan, Behingd Chandan Cinema

Person Contacted Mrs. Bhavna Shah

Contact Details 26284840/ 9820174751

Strength of schools: 100 students Number of teachers: 13 Ratio of Students: Teachers: 7.7 Media of education: Hindi, English & Gujarati Mode of funding (Government and private): The government pays the staff salary and the remaining funds come though rotary service, public charity and donations Vocational training provided if any: The Company provides computer training to its students. Medical facilities provided to students: The school conducts medical checkups regularly Feedback on students pursuing vocational training provided by DEEDS: The school is quite satisfied with the contribution that DEEDS has made towards their institution. Requirements of the school: 2 Computer monitors Dish TV connections 12 Ceiling fans Godrej cupboards Classroom furniture Hearing aids for 10 children

Details of students in urgent need of financial aid: The school has not shared information on any student in need of financial information. Satisfaction level with contribution by DEEDS: The school is quite satisfied with the contribution that DEEDS has made towards their institution.

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General Observations: The infrastructure of the school is quite good. As mentioned above currently the school is in urgent need for 2 computer monitors and 10 hearing aids. The other needs can be postponed to a later date

Name of School

Dr. Kusum Tai Naravane School for the Deaf (Sadafule) Strength of schools: 60 students

Address M.G. Road, Kandivali (W). Mumbai 400067

Person Contacted Mrs. Deshpande ( School Principal Ms. Kavita More was on Leave)

Contact Details 022 28017257 / 28654623

Number of teachers: The school has 7 teachers who are appointed by the government Ratio of Students: Teachers: 8:1 Media of education: Marathi Medium. The school focuses on lip reading and discourages the use of sign language. Mode of funding (Government and private): The school is funded completely by the government Vocational training provided if any: The vocational courses taught by the school are candle and chalk making Medical facilities provided to students: The school has a First Aid kit for emergency purposes and conducts a medical check-ups occasionally Feedback on students pursuing vocational training provided by DEEDS: N.A. Requirements of the school: The following are the requirements of the school : Teaching Aid Requirements Audiogram/Audiometers Group hearing aids for the classroom CPS Kits Soft-boards for the class

Students Requirement

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Behind the ear machine

Other Requirements 1. English as a learning language is a matter of concern Students cannot go to Sanskardham during weekdays for Ishaara classes due to regular schedule and it is not possible for schools to reschedule classes. If Ishaara classes can be arranged on Saturday then students might come Special teacher for English language can be arranged after having consensus with the Trustees regarding the salary payment of the teacher. 2. Jobs/Placement: Another major concern faced is placement of the students after passing out from the school. 3. Computer literacy is also negligible because of the lack of faculty who can take the course. Details of students in urgent need of financial aid 1. Divya Kadam (one of the students) requires financial help for the operation. a. Contact: 9768624206 Trimurti Chawl, Room no. 8, Bandar Pakhadi, MG Road, Mumbai 67. General Observations: Teachers at the school do not give a lot of emphasis on English language for the students. They are not willing to go extra mile so that English can be incorporated in the regular curriculum. The school also has sufficient space available which could be utilized more efficiently to incorporate vocational courses.

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Name of School Sanskardham Vidyalaya for the Hearing Impaired

Address Unnat Nagar, M.G. Road, Goregaon (W). Mumbai 400104

Person Contacted

Contact Details

Mrs. Lata Nayak

02228764577/22946569/28751356

Strength of schools: 40 students Number of teachers: The school has a total of 6 teachers of which 5 teachers from the government, 1 teacher appointed privately Ratio of Students: Teachers 8:1 Media of education: English and Marathi medium; the school encourages lip reading over sign language Classes conducted: As per Maharashtra State Board pattern and Ishaara classes to teach English. Mode of funding (Government and private): The school is funded by the government besides this the school raises an amount to the extent of Rs. 75000/- per month through private funding. Vocational training provided if any: The school provides its students training in computers, development of products such as lantern using Arts and Craft. Medical facilities provided to students: The school conducts general medical checkup checkup periodically Requirements of the school: Infrastructure Requirements Science Lab for school Furniture for the expansion o Planning to raise two more floors to increase the number of classes
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More computers

Staff Requirements Volunteers who can teach arts and crafts and other such activities

Financial Requirement For meeting current requirements school has employed staff over and above provided by the government. It needs additional financial support to the extent of Rs. 75,000 /-per month to cater to this requirement as it is falling short of sponsors to fund this requirement. Other Requirements Students of the school are involved in the activities to make lantern, bands, etc. The school would like DEEDS to lend its support by helping in finding a market to sell the products produced by the children. Ways in which DEEDS could further contribute: As mentioned above Deeds could contribute by identifying a market where the school could sell products like lanterns and bands which are produced by the children. The school would also like DEED to provide financial assistance to meet the staff shortage requirement. General Observations: Mrs. Naik, the Principal of the school is very active and enthusiastic towards the school and the overall development of the students. She wants her students to lead a very normal life and blend with the society hence steps such as emphasis on on English and daily exercises for the students are emphasized upon. The school also believes in students having a nutritious diet hence students are asked to bring only chapatti while vegetable and salad is provided by the school. Sanskardhaam has also started 11th and 12th standard classes and strength of which is 50 students. There is rift between government appointed teachers and the Principal which can lead to problem for the students overall development.

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Name of School Rochiram Thadani School for the Hearing Handicapped Strength of school: 217 students Number of teachers: 51

Address 64-65 Collectors Colony, Chembur. Mumbai -400074

Person Contacted Mrs. Poonam Sawant

Contact Details 022 25561040 / 25532624

Ratio of Students: Teachers 4.25 Media of education: Hindi and Marathi medium using both sign language and lip reading Classes conducted: As per Maharashtra State Board pattern and Ishaara classes to teach English Mode of funding (Government and private): -8% of Total annual Salary of all teachers is granted by the Government and rest is provided by the trust or private arrangements. Vocational training provided if any: Cookery, Screen Printing & Beauty Salon courses are provided by the school along with embroidery which is offered in a regular course Medical facilities provided to students: N.A. Requirements of the school 1. Adoption Schemes for students (1 yr ) 2. Sewing Machines (2) for vocational courses 3. Computers 10 4. Medical Aid for a student 5. FM system (Rs. 3 lakh) 6. Corporate contacts for sale of arts & craft
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Details of students in urgent need of financial aid: Ms. Anupa Kamble Add : Municipal Kaamgar Vasahat, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Road, Govandi (E). Mumbai 400043 Contact : 9594740806 Treatment : Cochlear Implant Amount : Rs. 92000/Date of Surgery : 5th Oct., 2010 General Observations It is one of the oldest schools for hearing impaired in Mumbai and is backed by financial stable trust. School is expanding the vocational courses for the students. It provides sprouted grains and salad for lunch to the students.

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Name of School Cenral Society for the educatiopn for the deaf

Address 64-65 Collectors Colony, Chembur. Mumbai -400074

Person Contacted Mrs. Amita Burde

Contact Details 23087798/ 23088879/ 9821714751

Strength of the school- The school has currently 66 children enrolled. Number of teachers-The school has 10 teachers and additional 2 craft teachers Ratio of Students: Teachers: 5.5 Media of education: The school has English and Marathi medium Classes conducted: Nursery to 4th grade after which students are sent to regular schools or special schools based on their grasping skills Mode of funding (Government and private): 5 of the teachers are funded by the government, this included the principal of the school the rest of the teachers and the administrative staff are funded by the trust /society. Societies or Trusts : Some of the trusts providing funds to the school are the Wadias and the TATAS. The school is also funded by the local Parsi community in that area. Vocational training provided if any: The school is interested in providing vocational training to the children but there is a need for a vocational teacher. Medical facilities provided to students: The school has an audiologist and a therapist who visits the school thrice a week. It also has a psychologist/parent counselor in the school who helps parents to understand and cope with their childrens disability better and help their children in their day to day tasks. The school has recently organized a medical camp with the support of the local government but it wants to organize such camps on a more frequent basis. They also lay emphasis on nutrition of the child; hence they provide mid-day snacks to the children in the form of banana and milk.
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Feedback on students pursuing vocational training provided by DEEDS: No student so far has applied for the vocational training program offered by DEEDS Requirements of the school: The following were the requirements stated by the school: 1. Provide sponsorship which covers the salary of at least 1 or 2 teachers for a period of 1 year 2. Provide funds or sponsor digital hearing aids (Rs 50,000-Rs 60,000 a pair). At the moment the school needs at least 8-10 pairs. 3. Provide funds to purchase batteries for the hearing aids ( packet of 6 batteries costs Rs 100) 4. Sponsor mid-day meals ( provide finance for the purchase of vegetables , so that children could be provided with salads) 5. Provide financial support in organizing a yearly trip or outing to the local bread, chocolate or biscuit factory ( Parle, Coca-Cola etc) so that the students get an exposure of the outside world 6. Organize medical camps ( the school is open to the idea of organizing the camp in their school and invite other schools for the same) 7. Organize a dietician programme to educate the parents about the need for good nutrition 8. Share with them opportunities where their students can participate in stage performances like dance, drama , quizzes etc 9. Provide funds for building the roof of the testing room where the kids hearing abilities are tested Details of students in urgent need of financial aid: The school also identified some students who are in need of urgent medical help Harshal Krish Kassad

These students are in need for funds for cochlear implants Satisfaction level with contribution by DEEDS: The school is satisfied with the support extended by DEEDS. Some of the students of the school in fact have been placed in ICICI bank with the help of DEEDS, but they want DEEDS to more proactive Ways in which DEEDS could further contribute: Organise medical camps and help the school in organizing factory visits for children. General Observations: In comparison to the other schools for children with hearing disability, CSED is a very well maintained and well organized school. The infrastructure of the school is very good with neat classrooms, playing area for the children, library and TV room and enough space for children to move around. What distinguishes this school from the rest of is the fact that
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it involves the parents in the development of the their children and helps teachers to deal with emotional and mental struggle which they face while raising a child with hearing and speech disability by teaching them yoga and having a parent counselor to help the parents . Parents (especially home-makers) are allowed to stay in school and become voluntary members. They help the school by preparing soft modes of learning like charts, posters etc or assist the teachers in teaching the children and help prepare the mid-morning meals for the children. The school pays very high emphasis on every student. The principal of the school is familiar with every student and pays a very keen interest in their lives. Students who are lagging behind in certain subjects are also provided additional tutorial classes so that they can be at par with their peers. The school also uses technologically advanced visual aids to help students learn better. They have a device which captures major portions of the syllabus in form of animations. These animations are shown to children and helps them understand topics learnt by them better.

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Name of School The Bombay Institute for the deaf and Mute

Address 33 Nesbit Rd, Opp Mazgaion court, Mazgain Mum-400010

Person Contacted Ms. Rita Sahay

Contact Details 23713144

Strength of the school: 145 students Number of teachers: The school has 25 teaching and 12 administrative staff Ratio of Students: Teachers: 5.8 Media of education: English, Marathi and Hindi. Classes conducted: From nursery to 10th Mode of funding (Government and private): The teachers and the staff are all paid by the government. The government also provides the school with funds for yearly maintenance. The school also gets private funds from Lions and Rotary club Vocational training provided if any: The school provides vocational training to its students in hand embroidery, home science and hygiene, book binding, screen printing, baattic and computer classes. Medical facilities provided to students: There are no medical facilities provided by the school to its students. The school participates in medical camps organized by the local clubs or other schools, otherwise there is no such initiative taken up by the school. Feedback on students pursuing vocational training provided by DEEDS: The school was not very aware about the vocational training provided by DEEDS (this is the catering programme offered by DEEDS). Reasons cited was due to lack of information. Requirements of the school: The following were the requirements stated by the school: 1. Help students enroll into colleges to pursue further education or into vocational training programmes such as the catering programme organized by DEEDS
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2. Requested for medical camps to be organized on a more regular basis or information on any such initiatives organized in or around the vicinity 3. Requested for sponsorship for events organized by the institution celebrating their 125 th anniversary. Sponsorship could be in the form of cash/funds for trophies for the winners, prizes for the students and lunch for the students and the guests 4. Funds to re-paint the school 5. Hearing aids for the students ( estimated cost Rs 12000/- per child ) Details of students in urgent need of financial aid: The Principal shared with us that there were many students in need of financial aid, but did not have the list with her. Satisfaction level with contribution by DEEDS: The institution is not very satisfied with DEEDS. They are of the opinion that other than providing an opportunity for their students to participate in the competitions, DEEDS has not really provided any kind of support. In fact they were not aware of the catering program that DEEDS offers. Ways in which DEEDS could further contribute: Provide more information on the various vocational training program that DEEDS offers ( e.g: catering) , identify more job opportunities for the students who do not want to pursue their higher education. General Observations: The school is a very old institute and has a large faculty, the school premise is quite large and the school accommodates larger number of students in comparison to other institutes. We feel that DEEDS could be more proactive in terms of informing the school and its students various vocational training program that are being introduced for the students of this institute. The school also uses group hearing aids till class 4th after which students have to get their own hearing aids. The classes are continuous as a result this could be quite stressful for the student. Also the school does not have a provision of a doctor on the school premises or around which most of the other schools have.

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Name of School Shivaji Park Lions School for the hearing handicaped

Address New Municipal Center, 82 LT Dilip Gupte Marg Mahim

Person Contacted Mrs. Pradnaya/ Mrs. Anuprita Bhide

Contact Details 24454238

Strength of the school: 64 students Number of teachers: The school has a staff of 15 of which 9 are teaching staff Ratio of Students: Teachers: 7.11 Medium of education: Hindi and Marathi medium The school uses both oral and sign languageClasses conducted: Classes start from Kg to 10th standard Mode of funding (Government and private): The teachers salaries are paid by the government but since the salary is inadequate the balance is paid by the management. 2 of the teachers are funded by the club the rest are funded by the government. Societies or Trusts: The school gets funds from the lions Club of Shivaji Park Vocational training provided if any: There is no vocational training provided to the students. Earlier students were taught screen printing, but since there is shortage of funds the course had to be discontinued. The school still has classes in computers, typing, art and craft. Medical facilities provided to students: The school has a speech therapist who is also the school doctor who frequents the school on a regular basis, other than this the school also has first aid facility. The institute also gives a lot of emphasis on the nutrition of the students and provides bananas as a mid-day snack. The school also provides hearing aids for its students. Feedback on students pursuing vocational training provided by DEEDS: The school has two to four students enrolled in the catering program provided by DEEDS. The school is also quite satisfied with special English classes which DEEDS had organized through its volunteers. Requirements of the school: The following were the requirements stated by the school:
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1. Hearing aids for the students. The school provides hearing aids for all its students as most of the parents lack the financial means to provide it to the their children. Hence the school is in need of funds to provide hearing aids. 2. 2 Typewriters (English). As the school teaches its students typing, they are in urgent need of typewriters. 3. The school has old computer systems which are non- functional. Hence they require new computer systems so that they could teach students data entry. 4. Over head projector 5. Need for volunteers to teach children- dance, art and craft, data entry and teach the use of basic computer program. 6. Funding for the teachers , since 2 teachers are paid through funds from clubs and donations Details of students in urgent need of financial aid: few students needed funds but the principal did not have the list handy. Satisfaction level with contribution by DEEDS: The school is satisfied with the support DEEDS has offered by helping the school organize English classes for the students. Ways in which DEEDS could further contribute: The institute wants support from DEEDS in the form of volunteers who could conduct extra-curricular activities for the students like dance, drama, art and crafts General Observations: The school is in need of good computer systems as the existing computers are in a very poor condition. The school has 8 classrooms spread over 2 floors but the school is very poorly maintained. There was no scope of interaction with the students as the school closed early during the day of our visit.

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Name of School Vikas Vidyalaya for the hearing handicapped

Address A-3 Mehta Apts, Agashe path Dadar (W)

Person Contacted Mrs. Suniti Dixit

Contact Details 24229987/ 24228966

Strength of the school: 130 students Number of teachers: 36 staff of which 19 are teachers Ratio of Students: Teachers: 6.84 Medium of education: Marathi medium. The school uses oral communication, it does not use sign language. Classes conducted: From pre-school to 10th grade Mode of funding (Government and private): The government pays 14 teachers salaries and the rest of the staff and teachers are funded by the societies and trusts Vocational training provided if any: The school does not provide any vocational training. After the end of the annual exams the school organizes summer vocational training program for the students benefit. Medical facilities provided to students: The school conducts 3 ENT check-ups for its students which is sponsored by the government, one medical practitioner visits the school for check up twice a year Feedback on students pursuing vocational training provided by DEEDS: The school is satisfied with the vocational training provided by DEEDS. As of now 8 students of the institute have enrolled into the catering program offered by DEEDS . Requirements of the school: The following were the requirements stated by the school: 1. The institute requires 20 hearing aids

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2. Medical check up/ camps where Rubella vaccine are given to children ( this is a very important vaccine as it reduces the level of deafness , but since this vaccine is expensive and most of the students come from low income families they are unable to afford it ) 3. Computers for students as students use computers extensively for games to regular classes ( 6 computers) 4. Printer and a scanner Details of students in urgent need of financial aid: The school also identified some students who are in need of urgent medical help Rupesh Mail ( suffers from an eye problem , has a power of -18 and needs a change of glasses every six months. For this purpose he requires Rs 6000/- for every six months ) Sarvari and Sakshiri ( need for urgent hearing aid . Machines cost Rs 49000/and Rs 31000/-

Satisfaction level with contribution by DEEDS: They are quite satisfied with the support that DEDDS has offered them. Ways in which DEEDS could further contribute: DEEDS at the moment could contribute by providing atleast 6 computers which it urgently needs. Other than this DEEDS could also conduct medical camps in which they could fund the Rubella vaccine General Observations: Out of the many schools visited this school seemed to be in a decent position to provide education to its students. The students were mainly from the lower income groups and many of them urgently needed funds for hearing aids, battery etc.

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Name of School Utkarsha Mandal, Mook Dhwani Vidyalaya

Person Address Contacted Utkarsha Mandal Chowk, Ms. Sadhna Malviya Rd, VP (E) Sapre

Contact Details 26153008/ 26132856

Strength of the school: 95 students Number of teachers: 19 Ratio of Students: Teachers: 5 Medium of education: Marathi and Hindi. The school uses both oral communication and signs to communicate to students Classes conducted: From pre-school to 10th grade Mode of funding (Government and private): The school gets funds from the government which pays the salaries of the teachers and from individual donors , charitable trusts and mahalaxshmi trust. Vocational training provided if any: Not provided. Medical facilities provided to students: The school has a doctor who visits the school and can be contacted in case of emergencies. There are also quarterly checkups that are done by the doctors Feedback on students pursuing vocational training provided by DEEDS: The school is satisfied with the vocational training provided by DEEDS. As of now 9 students of the institute have enrolled into the catering program offered by DEEDS . Requirements of the school: The following were the requirements stated by the school: 1. A pair of hearing aids costing approximately Rs 12,000/2. Button cells for 50 students Rs7,500/- per month 3. A pair of moulds costing Rs 400/- for 40 students Rs 16,000/- per year
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4. A nutritious diet including fruit , vegetable, pulses , snacks for all the 95 students @ Rs 1000/- per day 5. One set of school uniform-Rs400/6. A pair of school shoes Rs 100/7. Sponsorship for festivals Rs 1500/8. Sponsorship for lunch Rs 5000/9. One day picnic expenses Rs 5000/10. Annual education sponsorship for a needy student Rs 3500/11. A general donation of any amount to mookdhwani vidyalaya 12. Martial arts uniforms for students Details of students in urgent need of financial aid: The principal said there were students who required funds but could not recollect their names. Satisfaction level with contribution by DEEDS: As of now quite satisfied with the support that DEDDS has offered General Observations: The school seemed in a very good position. The basic needs of the school seemed to have already been satisfied. It was now looking at satisfying supplementary needs like school trips and uniforms for martial art training. The school also took ken interest in the students health and provided students with mid-day meals.

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Data Analysis

No. of students
250 200 150 100 50 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 No. of students

No. of teachers
60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 No. of teachers

The two graphs shown above, show the number of students and teachers at each institute. The schools are supposed to maintain a ratio of 8:1 (Students: teachers). All the schools are adhering to this ratio. Many schools are infact running way below this ration, which is good for the students, since they can get more personal attention.
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Percentage of students pursuing higher studies

70.00% 60.00% 50.00% 40.00% 30.00% 20.00% 10.00% 0.00% 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

How many students pursue higher studies

Most of the schools provide education till 10th grade after which students either take up jobs or pursue some further studies. It can be seen that on an average 29% students take up higher studies. The remaining 70% do not tak up further studies since most of them are from poor families and need to support their families after a certain point of time. Also their expenses due to hearing aids, batteries etc. are high.

How many pursue vocational training offered by DEEDS

10 8 6 4 2 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 How many pursue vocational training offered by DEEDS

DEEDS provides vocational training in catering. It has a catering institute where students can learn to cook multi-cuisine meals. The one year training is followed by an internship with the Taj

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hotels. But students from many schools did not make use of this vocational training. Reasons ranged from thinkin of cooking as a female task to inconvenient location of the training institute.

Satisfaction Level of DEEDS Support

Good Satisfied Bad Unaware

0%

17%

25%

58%

When asked about how satisfied the schools were with the support extended by DEEDS, most of them expressed that they were very happy with the support. There was no school which was unhappy with the work that DEEDS was doing. The above graph depicts the responses of the schools.

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Learnings & Recommendations

DEEDS as an NGO for the hearing impaired not only focuses on free education for children who are hearing handicapped but also ensures their job placements by providing free training in vocational skills like tailoring & cutting, professional catering, computer training & beauty art. These efforts have been in line with their motto of turning disabilities into abilities by making the disadvantaged, self-sufficient & financially independent. Through various sensitization programs, corporates have now realized that hearing impaired people can be inducted into mainstream work like backoffice operations, which involve minimal interaction. Similarly, they can also be employed in sectors which require artistic skills like Jewellery Design, Beauty Salons, Masseurs as also sectors which entail mechanical or routine jobs like housekeeping, Hospitality, Diamond Assortment etc. DEEDS has successfully associated itself with many reputed companies like ICICI Bank, Caf Coffee Day (Amalgamated Bean Coffee Trading Company Ltd. ), ITC Hotels, Jewellex Pvt. Ltd., Shell, Essar Group, Bajaj Electricals, Rudra Spa, Kalpataru Hospitality & Facility and many more to place the deaf candidates after making them employable. From our week long experience of working with DEEDS, we gained a firsthand insight into the working of the schools for deaf as also the problems that they face in running them. As stated before in the report, each school had their own set of specific requirements ranging from lack of space to conduct proper classes to books & educational CDs for their library. Some general recommendations: DEEDS has helped most schools set up a Computer lab to facilitate teaching & achieve computer literacy. However, their maintenance was an issue for most schools. To resolve this DEEDS can enter into a bulk deal with a single company, whereby they provide annual maintenance contracts to all schools. This will ensure uniformity & also prove relatively cost less. Most schools have transport (bus, van) vehicle donated by corporates to ferry the children to & from their home. However, they could not afford the running costs of the vehicle incurred due to fuel, driver, cleaner & general maintenance of the bus. DEEDS can sell the advertising space on the vehicle to companies on a contract basis & in return recover the running costs. English has become a pre-requisite for employment in any sector these days. The English Literacy program run by the Ishara Foundation of DEEDS has had a windfall success in the schools where it is currently run. The schools predominantly had Marathi as their medium of instruction & the syllabus for English language in these schools was very poor. We recommend that all schools be brought under the umbrella, because this is the

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only way in which the Marathi medium students can achieve a grip over the English language. DEEDS can use the online social media as a cost effective way of building their brand. The power of websites like Facebook, Orkut, LinkedIn, Twitter in spreading awareness cannot be undermined. Advertising & Marketing online will help DEEDS increase their visibility in the corporate circle & attract companies looking to execute their social reponsibilities. Medical camps could be organized once or twice a year at schools, since many of the schools were not conducting such programs on a regular basis. It is essential to monitor the health of these students since a majority of them are from poor families and could not afford proper treatment. The schools which were aware about the catering program were very happy with it, but those schools which knew less about it were skeptical. More awareness needs to be spread about this course among principals, since they have high influence over their students.

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Annexures
A) Questionnaire used for conducting the survey 1. What is the strength of your school? 2. How many classes do you conduct? 3. What are the media of education? 4. Number of teachers (breakup of government and private)? 5. What is the mode of funding (breakup of government and private)? 6. What is the course curriculum? 7. Does your school offer vocational training? 8. How many students pursue higher studies? 9. How many pursue vocational training offered by DEEDS? 10. What medical facilities are provided to the students? 11. Any additional facilities that the schools provides to the students? 12. What are the requirements of the school in terms of books, pens etc.? 13. Any other requirements that your schools has? 14. Any particular student in need of urgent financial aid? 15. What is your feedback on the vocational training provided by DEEDS? 16. Are you satisfied with the support offered by DEEDS? 17. In what other ways could DEEDS help your school?

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B)

Summary of findings 1 68 7th M 9 2 50 7th M 9 5.56 25.00 % 0 Yes Yes Yes No Yes No 3 59 10th M 7 8.43 25.00 % 4 Yes Yes No No Yes No 4 5 100 60 7th 10th H, M, E M 13 7 7.69 20.83 % 7 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No 8.57 22.2 2% 2 Yes No Yes No Yes No 6 40 10th E, M 6 6.67 58.3 3% 0 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 7 217 10th H, M 51 4.25 31.43 % 4 No Yes Yes No Yes No 8 66 4th E, M 10 6.6 0 42. 86 % 0 Ye s No Ye s Ye s Ye s No 9 145 10th H, M,E 25 5.80 10 64 10th H, M 9 7.11 25.00 % 4 Yes No Yes No Yes Yes 11 130 10th M 19 6.84 37.5 0% 8 Yes Yes No No Yes No 12 95 10th H, M 19 5.00 23.0 8% 9 Yes No Yes No Yes No

A B C D

E 7.56 14.2 9% 3

F G

28.57% 0 No Yes Yes Yes Yes No

H Yes I Yes J K Yes No

L Yes M No

CD` s& Boo N ks O Yes Goo d

Proje ctor No

Induc tion Loop s No Satisf ied

None No

Good

Good

Mi Sewin d Scien g day Sponsor CPS ce machin me shipkit Lab es als event Ye Yes No Yes s Yes Una war Satis Go Unawar e fied Good od e

Proje ctor Yes Satisf ied

None Yes Goo d

Sch ool unif orm Yes Goo d

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P

Strength of your school (No. of students) Classes conducted till (eg till 10th grade) Media of education (English=E, Hindi=H, Marathi= M) Number of Studnets: Teachers Ration of students How many students pursue higher studies How many pursue vocational training offered by DEEDS Additional facilities provided: a. Medical facilities b. Computers c. Hearing aids d. Class Furniture Requirements e. Financial Aid f. Human Resourse Requirements Any Other Requirements Any particular student in need of urgent financial aid (Y=Yes, N=No) What is your feedback on the vocational training provided by DEEDS? (good satisfied bad unaware)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Jhaveri Thanawala Karnabadhir Vidyalaya Samvaaad Karnabadhir School Disha Karnabadhir Vidyalaya KDN Shruti School for the deaf Dr. Kusum Tai Naravane School for the deaf Sanskardham Vidyalaya for the Hearing Impaired Rochiram Thadani School for the Hearing Handicapped Central Society for the education for the deaf The Bombay Institute for the deaf and Mute Shivaji Park Lions School for the hearing handicapped Vikas Vidyalaya for the hearing handicapped Utkarsha Mandal, Mook Dhwani Vidyalaya

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