B.Ed courses Launched at Three Open Universities for Learning Disabled Children

In order to meet the requirements children with learning disabilities, three state open universities would offer special B.Ed courses from the academic year 2015-16 to generate trained professionals in the field. Social Justice Minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot, while replying to a question in Lok Sabha said that the Rehabilitation Council of India which is a statutory body functioning under Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, is working hard in order to develop trained manpower through regular and distance programmes in universities so that specific educational needs of the children suffering with learning disabilities could get handled effectively.

Under the provisions by the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Council has started a B.Ed Special Education (Learning Disability) course through distance mode through open universities. Gehlot said that the three state open universities, namely, Madhya Pradesh Bhoj Open University, Bhopal, Vardhmaan Mahaveer Open University, Kota and Uttarakhand Open University, Haldwani, have been encouraged to shoulder the responsibility to start the said course through distance mode in their respective states from the academic session 2015-16 to meet the demands of trained professionals for the Learning Disability course.

Gehlot also mentioned while answering another question in response to a question that all the people under categories defined under Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995 appearing for the Secondary School Examination or Senior School Certificate Examination would get amanuensis or additional time. People, who are spastic, blind, physically handicapped, dyslexic, autistic fall under the categories of Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995.