Sakthi Meena suffered permanent hearing loss following a corrective surgery to set right her jaw as a child. But she continued her education. At Dr. Ambedkar Government Arts College, a teacher not only identified her disability but also sent her for review to ENT specialists. She finally received a state-of-the-art hearing aid three years ago. She is now doing her M.Phil and teaches children in her slum to eke out a living.
“Sakthi Meena was the recipient of UGC’s fund under the Higher Education for Persons with Special Needs scheme,” says M. Ravichandran, coordinator of Disability Centre at the college.
“The surgeon had advised an expensive surgery but later suggested a high-end hearing aid. We used the UGC fund for it. She was the last beneficiary as the UGC has since suspended the programme,” he rues.
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