Basic Facts

• 2.6 to 3% of the population in India have disabilities
  
  
• The National Policy of Education (1986) indicates that there are 3.4 million children with disabilities in the primary education age group and another 1.4 million in the pre-school age group
  
  
• Children with disabilities mostly come from the poorer sections of the society
  
  
• 4-5% of the total number of children with disabilities are attending any kind of educational services
  

Beliefs and Principles

• People have inner strength regardless of certain physical or mental challenges that they may face with respect to one or a few of their 'abilities'
  
  
• Segregation only leads to disempowerment and it is through the sphere of inclusive education that 'education for all' can be achieved
  
  
• Inclusion is a community responsibility requiring collaboration between different sectors and extensive participation of all stakeholders
  
  
• Engaging in promoting inclusive education in all the work that it undertakes or support
  
  
• Ensuring support and services to match the special needs of children with disability encountered in every school by accommodating different styles and rates of learning and ensuring quality education to all through appropriate curricula, organisational arrangements, teaching strategies, resource use and community

Experience

• Promoting the cause of education for children with disabilities through institutional approach
  
  
• Ensuring support and services to match the special needs of children with disabilities such as health, education and livelihoods
  
  
• AeA firmly believes in people's strength regardless of certain physical or mental challenges that they may face with respect to one or a few of their 'abilities'
  

Scope

AeA through inclusive education interventions proposes to cover all children, women and men with disabilities through following services:

• Early interventions for children up to 6 years
  
  
• Inclusive/special education for children between 6 to 18 years
  
  
• Skill training and income generation activities for youth with disabilities (above 18 years)
  
  
• Formation and strengthening of Self Help Groups for women and men with disabilities
  

Strategy

The following major strategies are adopted for the inclusive education component in AeA programmes

• Interventions in inclusive education are mainstreamed with all existing AeA supported projects
  
  
• Identification of needy areas and potential partners for launching new projects on inclusive education
  
  
• Convergence of the component of inclusive education with other programs and lay special emphasis on leveraging resources from various government programs and other support agencies
  

Research and Advocacy 

Research and advocacy on the issue of disability is an integral part of AeA's intervention. The organisation emphasizes on the following:

• Workshops and seminars on the issues of effective implementation of PWD act, National Trust Act and other schemes and concessions
  
  
• Rights of the disabled- access to health, education, employment and social security
  
  
• Rights of women with disability
  
  
• Network with NGOs working with the same cause and government departments like Sarva Siksha Abhiyan and Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
  

Gender Equality

• Empowerment and participation of women with disabilities in the community activities through formation and strengthening of the Women’s Self Help Groups

• Strategies will be developed to ensure the education of girl children with disabilities

Livelihood

• Develop strategies to include youth with disabilities in livelihood programmes and create linkages for funding.

Emergencies

• Health and counseling services for persons with disabilities and children with disabilities 

• Preventive measures to reduce incidents of disabilities

• Create linkages with other actors and government for necessary Sarva Sisha Abhiyan aids and appliances, certificates etc

• Referral services for needy people