The Integrated Education for Disabled Children (IEDC) program was initiated in 1974 to provide educational opportunities and support to children with disabilities. The program aimed to mainstream these children into society by developing their self-confidence. It provided financial assistance for books, uniforms, transportation, equipment, and teacher training. However, the program saw little success due to a lack of trained teachers, awareness of disability issues, equipment, and coordination between departments. The program was revised in 1992 to provide 100% assistance to schools integrating disabled students and fully fund NGOs implementing the program.
2. This program was initiated in 1974 by the Ministry of
Welfare, Central Government
IEDC is a centrally sponsored scheme which aims to
provide Educational Opportunities to the “not so abled”
children.
3. The overall aim of the program is to enable such people to
face life courageously and develop a level of self
confidence thus bringing them into mainstream of the
society
Under this program children were to be provided with
financial support for books, stationery, school uniforms,
transportation, special equipment and aids. The state
governments were provided with 50 percent of the
financial assistance to implement this program in regular
schools
4. Due to certain limitations and shortcomings like non-
availability of trained and experienced teachers, lack of
awareness of the problems of disabled children and their
educational needs, and non-availability of equipment and
educational materials, the program met with little success.
Moreover there was a lack of coordination among the
various departments for its proper implementation.
5. The IEDC program was revised in 1992. In the revised
program 100 percent assistance was available to
schools involved in the “integration” of students with
disabilities.
Various NGO’s are also now fully funded to implement
the program. IEDC is being implemented in almost all
the States and Union Territories.
6. Teacher training program
This involves a three-level training approach:
1. A five day orientation course for all the teachers
in the regular schools
2. Six-week intensive training course for 10 percent
of the teachers
3. One-year multi-category training program for
eight to ten regular school teachers
8. A disabled child may be given the following kinds
of facilities:
Actual expenses on books and stationery up to RS 400 per
annum.
Actual expenses on uniform up to RS 200 per annum
9. Transport allowance up to RS 50 per month. If a
disabled child admitted under the scheme resides in
the school hostel within the school premises, no
transportation charges would be admissible
10. Disabled children residing in hostels may need a helper
or an aayan.
Reader allowance of RS 50 per month in case of blind
children after Class V.
11. Actual cost of equipment subject to a maximum of
RS 2000 per student for a period of five years.
Escort allowance for severely handicapped with lower
extremity disability at the rate of RS 75 per month.
12. In the case of severely orthopedically
handicapped children, one attendant should be
there for 10 children, who may be given the
standard scale of pay prescribed for Class IV
employees in the State/UT concerned.
Disabled children residing in school hostels within
the same institution where they are studying may
also be paid boarding and lodging charges.
13. The disabled children whose parental income does not
exceed RS 5000 per month may be paid actual boarding and
lodging charges subject to a maximum of RS 200 per month.
However, unless the required educational facilities are not
available disabled children should generally not be placed in
hostels.
14. Orthopedically handicapped children residing
in school hostels may need the assistance of a
helper or an “ayah”. A special pay of RS 50 per
month is admissible to any employee of the
hostel willing to extend such help to children
in addition to his/her duties.
