Date:07/11/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/11/07/stories/2009110758890200.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Forum to voice needs of persons with disability

Special Correspondent

— PHOTO: R.SHIVAJI RAO

Expressive: Students of Vidya Sagar participating in a meeting held as part of AAC awareness week in Chennai on Friday.

CHENNAI: Students of Vidya Sagar, an organisation working with persons with disability, are keen on integrating with society and they know that the only way to do so is through communication.

Over the years, these students have learnt to use technology to express their needs. Their experience has helped them form the Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) User’s Forum. Headed by Bhavna Rao, the forum is first of its kind in south India and second in the country. Bhavna, a second year B. Com student, has been using her eyes to communicate. Sixteen-year-old Shanmugapriya, Rohit and Hari use pictorial charts. Kalpana Rao, a parent and a volunteer at Vidya Sagar, said the best way to develop communication is to introduce the child to an interactive technology “when it begins to babble.”

Vidya Sagar has tied up with the Indian Institute of Technology–Madras and Anna University, whose students prepare software. The various devices that the students use are on display at the centre in Kotturpuram. The AAC will hold a meeting on Saturday as part of awareness week on AAC being observed from November 2 to 8.

“Eighty per cent of our students use non-verbal communication methods. There are lots of special schools in Chennai now and we offer training in non-verbal communication methods,” said director Rajul Padmanabhan. It is not just these children, even people who have suffered a stroke, have Parkinson’s disease or low visionhave unmet communication needs, she said.

The AAC forum members will visit hospitals, banks and police stations, malls and cinema houses to spread awareness about the forum.