Chennai :
After schools repeatedly denied admissions to her son because he had cerebral palsy, Poonam Natarajan decided to work with what she had. She got trained as a special educator to teach her son and from the garage of her house on Arcot Road in T Nagar, in 1985 Natarajan began with three students and two staff. That was the beginning of Vidya Sagar that completed 30 years on Sunday.
The city’s pioneering organization that works with children and young adults with disabilities later moved to Kotturpuram in 1996 and now have close to 4,000 students across the country. As the school grew, Natarajan lost her son when he was 22. Did she foresee that Vidya Sagar would nurture people with disabilities for three decades? “Yes, it was a step by step process and I did know it would be an organization that continues to do great work,” says Natarajan who left the oganisation in early 2000s to become the chair of a statutory body constituted by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. “I am the founder but I came like a parent visiting to celebrate.”
An alumni association and a website that exclusively tells stories of their alumni was launched on the 30th anniversary Sunday to celebrate their past students. “The website isn’t a profile but it documents every student’s challenges, how they met the challenges, their milestones and memories with Vidya Sagar,” says deputy director, Dipti Bhatia.
“Many parents also are empowered over the course of time and start their own initiatives or community activities”
The website features 69 alumni students and will feature more over the year. “We are celebrating our students who come in with various disabilities from mild to profound,” Bhatia says. The organisation’s alumni had together launched the association saying it was for them to network and help each other. This was followed by a carnival for their students. Vidya Sagar provides education for children with neurological disabilities, and work in rehabilitation, advocacy and training.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / TNN / March 16th, 2015