Future of Nuffield School for the Deaf and Blind at stake The disabled have the same inherent rights as others

Students of Nuffield School for the Deaf and Blind Kathadi at a school event

I feel sad that Sri Lanka is far behind in treating its disabled community with the dignity that they deserve. Returning to Sri Lanka after 36 years of teaching experience in the UK, New Zealand and Australia and taking on the principal’s job at Nuffield School for the Deaf and Blind (Nuffield School) I believe we have serious work to do to meet the United Nations Charter of Human Rights that Sri Lanka has pledged to uphold. The United Nations

Charter of Human Rights states that disabled people have the same inherent rights as all of us, which include:

•  Respect, autonomy and independence,
•  Non-discrimination,
•  Full participation and inclusion in society,
•  Equality of opportunity.  

Organisations that provide services for the disabled community should make the  dignity of all they serve  their foundation to build an inclusive society. The Oxford Dictionary defines dignity as “the state or quality of being worthy of honour or respect”. Though I feel honour and respect should be given to all disabled individuals I will rely on my experience in working with the deaf and blind for this article.
The Nuffield School, part of the Ceylon Schools for the Deaf and Blind, established in 1956, caters to the deaf and blind from the Tamil communities in Sri Lanka. It is a charitable organisation entrusted to the care of the Anglican Church to be a pioneering institution. The school can boast that it has set the foundation for the visually impaired to become graduates, some even becoming lawyers.  But the school cannot take all the credit as they were gradually integrated into mainstream schools as they progressed. 

Traditional teaching methods 

The traditional teaching methods and communication channels developed for children with five senses are inappropriate for deaf and blind children. The deaf cannot  hear a lecture and the blind can’t read anything written on the board; the deaf can’t hear a school bell or a fire alarm that signals danger. The blind cannot see their class teacher or a flashing light that signals danger. Deaf and blind students’ intellectual, emotional, social, physical and spiritual development has to be managed differently from those of mainstream children.  The adults entrusted with looking after the children have to have an understanding of how these children perceive the world around them, and to work out the teaching and communication methods that will be successful. And despite their handicapped nature, these children seem to be able to tap into pathways and cognitive abilities dormant in the mainstream brains to understand their environment and navigate their way through it.
Over the past three years my efforts at Nuffield School have been geared towards introducing its students to the wider world of possibilities and opportunities.  I have tried to provide a safe, stimulating and Christian environment that nurtures their mind and spirituality enabling them to dream and prepare to take their rightful place in the adult world and make meaningful and fulfilling contributions to society. They perceive the world differently from the majority of us and that flows through in their artistic expressions and problem-solving skills. The platforms set for disabled persons should be as robust. It is my conviction that the route to integration into society is for these children to attain a high standard of English (as the language to connect to the wider world) and become proficient in IT (to tap into IT tools to overcome their disability as well as to connect to their future).  
We, who want to assist the disabled communities to grow and thrive, should be able to put ourselves in their shoes. We cannot put the responsibility on parents and guardians to deal with the issues. The majority of deaf and blind students that attend the school come from financially impoverished families. It means the parents and guardians haven’t the resources to explore avenues to build the students’ future pathways. They are so grateful that a special school exists to share the burden of a disabled child; they do not question the way the school is run.
Similar to government schools and fee- paying private schools and charity schools have a duty to ensure that the Charter of Children’s Rights is upheld. Adults have a duty to take care of all the children in our society:

•  Put their interests first in all dealings with them, 
• Provide them with shelter, nourishment, and education,
• Nurture and enable children  to reach their full potential, and
• Protect them from harm and exploitation.

My contract as a principal ends on the 31 December 2024. Applications were called for the principal position in July 2024, for which I applied. My application has still not been acknowledged. The students who went home on November 22 on holiday for six weeks left not knowing what the future holds. The uncertainties have created concerns among the students, staff and the community. 
According to the hearing impaired alumni, four years ago, a new Sign Language was introduced without proper community consultation. The Tamil Sign Language which had been in use for years was replaced by the National Sign Language. This decision meant not only that the future generation would not be able to communicate with the past students, but more importantly the teachers, students and the deaf community have to learn a new language for basic communication let alone for educational purposes.
In the case of the visually impaired alumni, they feel it was improper to ask the blind students to leave Nuffield School for the Deaf and Blind without community consultation. Two years later the management changed their minds and blind students were enrolled again.  
Infrastructure issues such as a shoddy electrical wiring system, undependable water and plumbing system, and unsound roofs, cause major disruptions at the school. Electrical fires are common occurrences and the school has reduced using electrical equipment including valuable learning resources such as smart board so that overloading does not cause fires and burnouts.  I am hoping and praying that a proposal that I have submitted to an external institution will come through in early 2025 to provide a safer environment.  
 (The writer is the Principal - Nuffield School for the Deaf 
and Blind Kathadi, Jaffna)