Swaranaad multi dimensional disability rehabilitation and comprehensive development center for hearing impaired children

According to medical statistics, out of every 1000 babies born, 4 babies are born deaf. If early detection and early intervention of these children is not done (between the age group of 00 to 6 years), these children will remain Hearing Impaired for their whole life, and, they will not be able to live a normal life and will be a burden to the family and to the society at large and consequently to the nation.

In Pune, around 60000 deliveries take place every year, so, considering the above statistics, 800 babies are born Hearing Impaired. That is to say, there will be almost 4800 Hearing Impaired children in the preschool age of 00 – 06 at any given time in Pune city. Such is the severity and need of rehabilitating congenital hear

Other issues that the project will address:

• ·       Lack of awareness about the issues of deafness among the urban and rural communities that the project works with
• ·       Prevailing misconceptions about sign language especially in the slum communities and rural areas of Pune
• ·       Gap between the hearing impaired and hearing communities
• ·       Lack of right pedagogy and teaching resources which are specially customized to the needs of the hearing impaired in India.

• Cochlea Pune works with 150 children with hearing impairment from Pune, focuses on early detection and early intervention of congenitally deaf children at various places in the Pune district, and, has a full-fledged rehabilitation centre with a complete team and has a well-equipped audiological testing room with the latest equipment.
• Training for the mothers is conducted. Once the child is able to listen and speak relatively well, he/ she is integrated into formal school. Cochlea also runs an early detection centre that provides professional therapeutic courses and runs free rural and tribal detention camps for the children. The teachers and  Principal have prepared a syllabus for the children who attend the School. The strength of the project is there are qualified teachers are trained to teach hearing-impaired children.
•  Due to this speech and language, these children get integrated into normal school in the First standard and thus overcome their disability permanently.

10 different Rehabilitation centres with activities such as

• Preschool Training, Speech Therapy for Hearing Impaired children,
• Developing reading and writing skills, Physical Training, Play Therapy, Parents Counseling, and Awareness of Hearing aid techniques.
• The organization runs a diploma course DECSE (HI), recognized by the Rehabilitation Council of India               

• After early detection & intervention of hearing-impaired children with impairment can be treated as a normal hearing human beings by the community. After acquiring adequate speech and language these children get integrated into normal school in the first standard and thus overcome their disability permanently. If early detection and early intervention of these children is done (between the age group of 0 to 6 years) these children will speak normally. They will be able to live a normal life and won’t be a burden to the family, the society and the nation at a large. The hearing-impaired children would be made ready to be integrated into normal schools and consequently lead a normal life.
• Rehabilitation in hearing impairment will open new and various avenues like job, business, Sports, Politics etc.
• Acceptance of hearing-impaired children by the community so as these children can connect to society.
• These Children will be in a better position to get a job opportunity after their formal / Professional education.
• Awareness about Hearing impairment plays a vital role in initiating the rehabilitation of hearing-impaired children.
• These children can be role models for other HI children.
• The rehabilitated person is easily accepted for a marriage proposal.