Team Herald
PANJIM: Caritas Goa, Director, Fr Maverick Fernandes, on Thursday said their organisation is in the process of setting up a full-fledged centre for deaf-blind children at Saligao, which is expected to commence by next academic year.
“Since Caritas Goa has been working on the issue of deaf-blind children for the last five years, an assessment after three years made us felt that we need a full-fledged centre to provide more regular services to children. We realised that our services were becoming limited. We have a strong qualified staff of special educator’s trained in deafblindness,” Fernandes said.
“Work has already begun and the centre will come up at Saligao, providing all services required therapies and facilities for the deaf-blind. By June 2018 and the new academic year, the full-fledged centre will begin which shall work on a daily basis,” he said
He added that Caritas Goa has been providing home and centre based direct services to 36 deaf-blind children and adults and newer children are regularly identified.
“Since the services for children were limited to either once or twice a week, we have now planned for regular services at the full fledged centre for the deaf-blind in Saligao,” he added.
A State Advocacy meeting was also held in the city to raise awareness about deafblindness. The aim of the programme was to create awareness and sensitise people about deafblindness and also to promote quality of life for deaf-blind/multi sensory impaired people and advocate for their rights to greater access to appropriate services and empower society to stand for what is due.
