The launch event was also attended by Aman Nath, Chairman, Neemrana Hotels and Eric Falt, Director and UNESCO Representative.

“UNESCO encourages the development and implementation of inclusive education policies, programmes and practices to ensure equal education opportunities for persons with disabilities. Many children with disabilities are not given a chance to go to school and initiatives like this can make a real difference at the community level”, said Eric Falt in his opening remarks.

“I am glad that many differently-abled children will now have the best room at the primary school at Tijara. Rather than feel complexed and discriminated against, they can feel pride in their space and show other children”, said Aman Nath, Chairman, Neemrana Hotels.

The Education Department, Alwar District (Rajasthan), Studio Swapna, Connecting Dreams Foundation Sri Ram College of Commerce, Sai Ganesh Nagpal (an award-winning musician and educator), all have actively supported the development of this program.

According to the press statement, Learning Disability (LD) in children is a well-recognized developmental disorder, which can have profound academic and psychosocial consequences. It is essential for the Centre will provide essential information to parents, teachers, and individuals with learning disabilities and promote programs to foster effective learning for children with disabilities.

“The pandemic has exacerbated the digital divide and its impact in daily life, preventing many disadvantaged children, especially those with special needs, from continuing their education with the help of state-of-the-art distance learning tools. In India, approximately 43 per cent of differently-abled students have been impacted since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic,” the statement read.

It also mentioned the impact on those without supportive and well-resourced home environments, including access to the Internet. “The impact could be catastrophic, with lifelong effects, as many children may never be able to close the gap in their education caused by the pandemic or, in some cases, even return to school.”