Case Studies
Real life stories of people whose lives were changed with the help of Sense International (India).
- Chetna — Surendranagar, Gujarat
- Rajesh — Limdi, Surendranagar
- Dinku — Chennai, Tamil Nadu
- Hifza — Varanasi City, Uttar Pradesh
- Prabhakar — Pattapalayam, Tamil Nadu
- Khurshida — Umrapur, Uttar Pradesh
Chetna — Surendranagar, Gujarat
Chetna was born deaf and blind, in the Surendranagar district of Gujarat. Until she was three years old, she had no control of her limbs and was unable to walk or feed herself. She spent her day strapped to a chair made by her father, who is a blacksmith. Without support from Sense International (India), Chetna would still be living a life of complete isolation.
Sense International was establishing a community outreach programme near where Chetna's family lives. She was identified during a survey carried out by Dipak Chauhan, a Sense International teacher, who began by explaining Chetna's condition to her parents and discussing what specialist services might be able to do for their daughter. Each development programme is based on an individual education plan for each child, with clearly identified milestones. The first goal Dipak set for Chetna was to be able to sit on her own and then progress to standing and walking.
Seven years later and the progress is remarkable. Chetna has learnt how to help her mother with daily chores around the house and walks on her own every morning to collect water for her family. Dipak has worked with a teacher to allow Chetna to attend the local school, which means she can begin to be part of her village and community. Chetna is also learning to do maths and is able to go to the market on her own to buy vegetables.
Rajesh — Limdi, Surendranagar
Rajesh was born with Usher syndrome; he had a hearing impairment from birth and lost his vision as he grew older. Before losing his sight, Rajesh went to a school for deaf children, but when he became deafblind there was no one to teach him to communincate and he was confined to his home.
When his younger sister was also diagnosed as profoundly deaf, the family virtually lost hope. But Rajesh's mother kept up her search for professional support, as she and Rajesh developed their own way of communicating using her limited knowledge of sign language.
The Blind People's Association, an early partner of Sense International India, heard about Rajesh and contacted him. Initially the family was hesitant, but Rajesh's mother accepted the challenge of training her children. The Association's field coordinator and workers identified Rajesh's strengths and built on these with the full participation of his family.
Now 27, Rajesh is a successful businessman in Limdi. He runs a sweet shop and specialises in preparing snacks such as samosas, fafdas and jalebi. Like any son he is proud to be able to support his parents. Away from work he enjoys watching his favourite movies late into the night, seeing them through his mother's eyes as she translates every scene through tactile signs.
Rajesh's aim now is to learn English so that he can communicate using American Sign Language and travel to other Indian cities with his friends from the adult deafblind network.
The difference Sense International has made to Rajesh's life is enormous. His story, success and ambitions show what can be achieved.
Dinku — Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Six-year-old Dinku is deafblind and lives with his family in Chennai. He used to communicate by using just a few basic gestures and pointing, which made it almost impossible for him to interact with his siblings and other children his age. His parents tried to find a place for him in a special school, but he was denied admission because of his multiple sensory impairments.
Sense International helped Dinku join the 'Sadhana' unit of the Clarke School for the Deaf in Chennai, and one year on, his very social and helpful personality is shining through. He uses multiple modes of communication — including Indian manual sign language, gestures, object cards and printed materials — to express his immediate needs and to tell about past and future events. His favourite activity is drawing, which helps him to express himself. He also loves solving jigsaw puzzles.
To support his remarkable progress, Dinku's mother takes sign language classes at the Clarke School each month.
Hifza — Varanasi City, Uttar Pradesh
Hifza Ansari was born in 1993. She was deafblind from birth and found it difficult to move because of cerebral palsy. She was completely dependent on her family. When a teacher from the Jeevan Jyoti School did a door-to-door survey in Hifza's village, he recognised the little girl's potential to gain some independence and recommended her for Sense International India's home-based educational programme.
Today, she has better use of her limbs and is able to sit on her own and use both her hands. She vocalises some words and can express her likes and dislikes. And it is clear that she is motivated by new things, which is an encouraging sign that she has great potential to learn and become increasingly independent. Her remarkable progress continues to inspire both her educators and her family, giving them great hope for Hifza's future.
Prabhakar — Pattapalayam, Tamil Nadu
Prabhakar was born in 1984, in a small rural village in Tamil Nadu. He had vision problems at birth, and when he was five years old he was diagnosed with hearing loss. His parents were devastated and found it extremely difficult to communicate with him.
Prabahakar was a confident child despite his limited vision and hearing, and he attended a school for non-disabled students for a period of time. But his multiple impairments slowed his progress, diminished his performance and kept him isolated from his classmates. As a result, he became discouraged and quit school, only to sit quietly at home in a corner.
This did not last long, though Prabahakar recognised that all he needed was some special help, which he eventually found in a community-based rehabilitation programme hosted by the Holy Cross Service Society, a programme supported by Sense International (India).
Prabhakar started training in total communication and soon, instead of sitting alone at home, he was travelling independently to different villages. He eventually passed the Public Examination (SSLC) in first class with 60% marks, and in 2004 he started attending college.
Today he enjoys cycling, swimming, going to the library, reading newspapers and books, and watching television. He leads a full life with amazing independence, demonstrating the profound changes that specialist support can bring.
Khurshida — Umrapur, Uttar Pradesh
Khurshida was born deafblind, in a tiny village called Umrapur. Before she was identified as deafblind by Sense International (India), she would lie in a corner of her family's hut, her body too stiff to sit up. She was totally dependent on her mother.
A Sense International (India) community worker, Satyabhama, is now teaching Khurshida to perform daily living skills, and uses toys to stimulate her sense of touch so that she can start to feel the world around her. This training will enable Khurshida to eventually learn sign language.
Khurshida's favourite toy is a slinky, which she loves to slither from one palm to the other. Regular exercise has greatly improved her mobility, and she can now sit up and walk. After being confined to the hut for so long, she loves to feel the gentle breeze against her face.
