Centre should set up early learning centres for hearing impaired children

08.03.2016, Chennai. Appealing to the Centre to set up early learning centres for children with hearing impairment in every district of the country, a womanhealth expert today said every pregnant women shouldget timely rubella vaccination and every child shouldbe screened at birth for hearing defect.

Speaking at the International Women's Day eventorganised by Sri Ramachandra University (SRU) here, Ms Saraswathi Narayanaswamy, Co-founder and Directorof Bala Vidyalaya said every pregnant women should get timely Rubella vaccination and every child should get screening at birth for hearing defect, necessary treatment, free hearing aid and free early intervention and schooling''. Narrating her own life with a hearing impaired child in 1963 with almost no facilities, the struggle she underwent to give him a start in life and the setting up of Bala Vidyalaya in 1969 with five children and two teachers, Ms Saraswathi said today there were facilities to give complete education to such children.

''The Tamil Nadu government has set-up a learning centre for hearing impairment children in all the 32 districts of the state and the central government should take immediate steps to set-up such centres in all the districts of the country so that no child is denied this facility, she added, according to a SRU release.UNI GV KVV AK 1710