By Veda Yumnam , Shivangi Chavda

The School Safety Initiative is committed to capacitate a whole generation that is susceptible to emergency situations and demand the right to a safer future. SEEDS’ mission to reach out to the most vulnerable and socially marginalized as well as its efforts to implement an inclusive Disaster risk management effort has led to the inception of a model school project in Dhali village of Shimla District in State of Himachal Pradesh, India.

The ‘Deaf , dumb and blind school ‘ which was established by the child welfare council of Himachal Pradesh to impart education to children with special needs is one of the model school in which SEEDS has successfully implemented a one of its kind intervention in school safety. It is situated in the outskirts of Shimla called Dhali.It is a residential and an all boys school catering to the needs of special school from all districts of Himachal Pradesh and its neighboring state.

The school is divided into two blocks: a block for the visually impaired and a block for the hearing impaired. There are in total 119 students out of which 107 have hearing impairment and 12 have visual impairment. A total number of seven dedicated teaching staff and three non teaching staff provide their service in this school, out of which two have visual impairment. The two visually impaired teachers are in charge of teaching the students who have visual impairment.109 of the students stay at the school’s hostel facility for a majority of the year and goes back home during the time of vacation. The rest of the children go back to their respective house at the end of their class. The school is about two kilometers away from the main road and a small road connects the school from it.

The intervention in this school was taken up as a model school project by SEEDS to build the coping capacity of the visually and hearing impaired. It has set a landmark in the field of disability inclusive Disaster Risk Management efforts.



Initiative

Disaster Education and training - Accentuating and encouraging the culture of individual safety as the best safety measures, SEEDS undertook various components of school safety intervention in this school. A tailor made methodology was developed for preparing the school disaster management plan for this school.

The teachers were trained as master trainers in disaster risk education by SEEDS under its school activities. Task force groups comprising of hearing impaired children and visually impaired (partial) were formed and trained in different life saving skills.



Structural and Non –structural component - SEEDS’ technical experts have conducted a thorough investigation of the school building and have intervened to make the school building safe for the occupants. Retrofitting work to strengthen the school to prevent it form collapsing in future earthquakes have been taken up. Non-Structural measures to make the build environment accessible to the students by adding ramps, handrails and reflective stickers have also been carried out by SEEDS.

Challenges

During the initiative, SEEDS could not find a trainer who had an expertise to train people with disability especially the visually impaired in first aid and search and rescue. However, the first aid and the search and rescue task force groups were formed comprising only the partially visual impaired students.
Another challenge was to synchronize the visually impaired and the hearing impaired in this school during the mock drill.

Good practices

The persons with disability are always left at the periphery of the society while taking into account any development initiative. SEEDS realized the gap in the system and always try to bring them in the forefront in all its activities. One such instance is that of the huge gap in the availability of awareness generating IEC material. SEEDS has developed customized IEC material to generate awareness of disaster safety to persons with disability .Card games in Braille and Instructor’s manual for the hearing impaired have been developed by SEEDS.

Specific hazard (natural or man made hazard) addressed

Earthquake and fire safety drills have been successfully conducted in this special school. However the life saving skills which were imparted to the task force members can be replicated in all the emergencies.

Implementing partners

The initiative in this school was implemented with the support of UNCRD, Christian Aid and European commission in two different projects.