Digital educational resources for children with disabilities
The Guidelines for the Development of e-Content for Children with Disabilities” for producing digital resources for Children with Disabilities students have been issued on 8th June 2021which can be seen at https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/CWSN_E-Content_guidelines.pdf
The guidelines have recommended the following:
- Accessible Digital Textbooks based on UDL Principles to meet learning needs of all learners
- Sign language videos for deaf learners, and
- Supplementary e-content -This includes other forms of e-content, excluding 1 and 2 above.
A prime focus has been given on the skills relating to personal adequacy in daily living as it will benefit them in improving/developing communication and language, literacy and simple arithmetic skills, self-awareness, including needs and emotions of oneself and others, self-discipline and appropriate social conduct, awareness about physical and social environment, psycho-motor coordination, cognitive functions, vocational/employment related skills, development of interest/hobby areas etc.
PM eVIDYAprogramme, a comprehensive initiative as a part of the AtmaNirbhar Bharat Program, which unifies efforts related to digital/on-air education to enable coherent multi-mode access to education launched on 17th May 2020 envisages development of special e-content for visually and hearing impaired students, along with extensive use of radio, community radio and podcasts and the uploading of QR coded energized digital textbook for grades 1 to 12 on DIKSHA portal. A separate DTH channel is also specifically being operated for hearing impaired students in ISL.
This information was given by the Union Minister of Education, ShriDharmendraPradhan in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
