Education, Guidance & Inclusion
Pratibandhi Kalyan Kendra (PKK) was established as a school for children with hearing impairment and is recognized as a special school by the Department of Mass Education, Government of West Bengal. Long before the enactment of the PWD Act in 1995, PKK embraced the principle of inclusion, successfully integrating many children into general schools. Over the years, PKK’s role has evolved to encompass a broader mission, ensuring inclusive education across all domains. Our approach combines learning in both institutional and community-based settings, fostering a socially and culturally appropriate environment for learning. With advancements in technology, improved hearing aids, early detection, language training, and parental empowerment, the global approach to educating and rehabilitating hearing-impaired children has significantly transformed.
Preschool Section
The preschool section provides specialized training for early-identified children with hearing impairment to develop their language and speech skills. Parents are actively involved in this process to prepare children for successful inclusion in broader educational settings.
Primary, Junior and Secondary Sections
In the Primary, Junior, and Secondary sections, children attend classes I-X in mainstream schools while receiving support from PKK in ongoing audiological management, language and speech development, remedial education, and parents’ training.
Parents' Training Programme and other assistance
The education programme includes a rigorous and in-depth parents' training component to ensure quality support and continued learning at home for children with disabilities. In addition, it facilitates access to government entitlements and arranges assistance such as hearing aids, teaching aids, travel support, and basic food for children from particularly socio-economically disadvantaged families.
Capacity Building of Mainstream Educators
Efforts are made to build the capacity of teachers in mainstream schools by conducting school visits and organizing meetings to help them understand the specific needs of children with deafness and promote inclusive education practices.
Community Awareness and Inclusion Activities
Events are regularly held to raise community awareness about the abilities, rights, and entitlements of children with disabilities. These include inclusive sports events, cultural programmes, observance of special days, art workshops, seminars, and sensitization drives.
Joy Clinic
The Clinic and Guidance Programme, established in 1987 by PKK, is grounded in the belief that all individuals have an equal right to hearing. Joy Clinic focuses on strengthening early identification, unbiased assessment, and the fitting of aids and appliances. In addition, it offers vital guidance, training, counselling, and information to support individuals throughout their journey. Initially focused on hearing and mental health, the programme now extends to other individuals across the disability spectrum. PKK's efforts ensure a non-exploitative, technically sound approach to promoting hearing health and inclusion for all.
Audiology Department
The Audiology Clinic addresses the hearing health needs of both children and adults through comprehensive assessments. These include –
– Pure tone audiometry
– Immittance audiometry including tympanometry (both adult & pediatric norms); acoustic reflexometry (both ipsi & contra); Eustachian Tube Function (ETF) test (both perforated and intact eardrum) to assess the conditions of middle ear
– Electrophysiology lab: OAE; ABR (both paediatric & adult hearing assessment & neurodiagnostics); ASSR (for objective electrophysiological audiogram: essential for hearing aid fitting in infants); Electrocochleography (ECochG) to measure the electrical potentials in the cochlea
– Vestibular testing including Videonystagmography (VNG) and Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (VEMP) to assess the vestibular system within the inner ear
– Hearing aid trial and fitting / programming of digital hearing aids in infants, children, adults and geriatrics; Electroacoustic analysis (for analyzing acoustic functions) of hearing aids, Real Ear Measurements (REM) to assess actual performance of hearing aids and confirming appropriate gain in the ear canal
– Fabrication of Ear Mould- both Hard & Soft Mould
Speech and Language Pathology Department
– Speech diagnostics and therapeutic management: Voice disorders; stuttering; neurological speech and swallowing disorders; management of acute post stroke swallowing deficits as also laryngectomy patients
– Diagnosis and therapeutic management of language disorders: pediatric autism spectrum disorders, hearing impairment, specific language impairment etc; adult and child neurological language disorders like post-stroke aphasias, etc.
Psychology Department
– Psychological assessment, counseling & therapy for children, adolescents and adults
– Behaviour therapy and management programmes for children with ADHD, ID, autims and multiple disabilities
Children and Parental Guidance
– Individual guidance and training for children with Intellectual Disability, Autism, ADHD, Hearing Impairment and multiple disabilities
– Individual and Group parental guidance to support families in their care journey
Community Education & Resource Mobilization
Through sustained efforts to create increased awareness and sensitivity, we conduct programmes involving dialogues on the rights, entitlements, and abilities of children. PKK engages with civil society, including doctors, students, corporates, development practitioners, and other committed individuals mobilizing support through fundraisers, workshops and other meaningful forms of engagement.
Livelihood Initiatives Involving Women with Disabilities
KAFE KHUSI is an initiative that creates livelihood opportunities by establishing food kiosks in Bhubaneswar, run by women with disabilities from the Balianta block of Khurdah district in Odisha. Launched in 2006, this project continues to empower 12 women, empowering them through sustainable income generation.
Our Work Through The Years
Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) in West Bengal
PKK began its community-based activities in the Hooghly District of West Bengal by promoting and developing grassroots organizations in Mogra, Pandua and Polba Dadpur blocks. In 2010, we initiated a community-based mental health programme creating awareness on mental health issues, arrangement of treatment of persons with mental illness, accessing government support, and the development of a community level support group known as the ‘Antaranga Group’.
Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) in Odisha
In Odisha, our work extends across over 97 villages, covering the entire Balianta Block of Khurdah District, intending to foster long-term social change for children and persons with disabilities. A key initiative involves forming an inclusive three-tier community group that will ultimately serve as key stakeholders for continued rehabilitation of persons with disabilities. This structure includes village-level, panchayat-level, and block-level groups composed of both persons with and without disabilities.
State Open School
Between 1998 and 2020, PKK was an affiliate centre of the West Bengal Council of Rabindra Open Schooling, providing an alternative education pathway for students who could not pursue mainstream education for various reasons. This programme served not only students with disabilities but also individuals from challenging socio-economic backgrounds, allowing them to study and take secondary examinations through this board.
PKK College of Education
With the aim of developing technically sound as well as socially committed human resources in the field, the PKK College of Education was started in 2015 offering two RCI recognised courses between 2015 and 2020 – Bachelor’s degree in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (B.ASLP) & B. Ed. (Special Education), Hearing Impairment (B.Ed.Spl.Ed (HI))
Vocational Training
Hooghly Badhir Mudran Samabay Samity Ltd. (HBMSSL), a cooperative society of persons with deafness, was initiated by PKK in 1987 with the aim of promoting economic self-reliance among individuals with deafness who were former students of PKK.
The cooperative served as a centre for practical, skill-based vocational training for adolescent boys and girls. Training was provided in various areas, including printing, tailoring, desktop publishing (DTP), silk screen printing, binding, lamination, and computer skills.
HBMSSL successfully operated designing, printing, and tailoring units, playing a significant role in the rehabilitation and economic empowerment of many persons with deafness.