The State government is preparing to transform the National Institute of Speech and Hearing (NISH) into a leading research institute and double its capacity, Health Minister K.K. Shylaja said here on Monday.
The Minister was speaking after inaugurating seminars on “Unlocking Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Concepts in Children with Communication Needs” and “Forging the Assistive Technology Value Chain,” on the NISH campus.
NIPMR to be upgraded
Ms. Shylaja also said that the National Institute for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (NIPMR), Thrissur, would be upgraded to a global institute.
The Minister noted that the government had introduced various programmes such as Sayamprabha , Anuyathra , Mazhavillu and Kaathorm , catering to the elderly, transgenders and newborns. “The goal of these programmes is rehabilitation and early detection of disability.” She also inaugurated an exhibition of Assistive Technology products on the campus.
K.G. Satheesh Kumar, Executive Director in Charge, NISH, Sudha Kaul, Vice Chairperson and Trustee, Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy, Kolkata; Therese Willkomm, Director-New Hampshire AT Programme, US; and Mohammed Asheel, Executive Director, Kerala Social Security Mission, were present on the occasion.
The meet brings together various stakeholders in the AT value chain, from researchers and product developers to people with disability, who are the end-users of the technology.
