The Union budget was presented in the lok Sabha by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and surprise surprise, Kerela, a country with strong tradition on disability studies will have a first University of Disabilties. Some in Kerela were expecting an AIIMS, an All India Institute of Medical Science but instead they will get a ungrading of its National Institute of Speech and Hearing (NISH) in Thiruvananthapuram.
This is a great news for one of the most socially developed state of the india federation. All around the world there are already many centers and institutions dedicated to the studies of disabilities but having an entire university focused and dedicated on disabilities is simply unique and exciting.
It is a pride for not only for India but the entire SAARC regional group. In Kerela there is alredy the Center for Disabilities Studies http://cdskerala.org/cds/ meaning that Kerela will soon become the super hub for disabilities studies.
At the same time i am wondering about mainstreaming disabilities in other studies like development or social work.
How strong is the subject in these universities courses? How is disabilities understood and mainstremed into development studies?
Overall how much mainstreaming disability study is happening within other academic curricula?
For example also engeenering studies could have some sort of subjects releted to accessibility or for example, look at robotics.
Scientists are pushing the bounderies of human mobility with incredible advantages towards technologies that can easy the lives of persons living with disabilitiies.
Though it will take decades to have persons with no mobility to access to these new technologies, still at prototype stage, more and more financial resources will be put into the sector. Not to forget about bio-technologies studies that can also greatly contributing towards a world with less persons living with disabilities.
This is a matter of reflection but i believe that having a super specialized institution offering cutting edge studies on disabilities is a great news.
While it is always important and strategic to have an AIIMS in the state, the establishment of the University of Dis[eability is a matter of joy for the people of God's Own Country.
To know more about the institution that will be transformed into The University of Disability Studies,, http://www.nish.ac.in/
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