The endeavour of Akshar Trust is to enable the individual with hearing impairment to have a useful, happy and fulfilling life.

Children with hearing impairment deserve a sound academic environment which will prove to be their opportunity, perhaps their only opportunity, for a life of self-reliance and dignity.

Akshar Trust, Baroda, was established in 1988 to:

1. provide education and care to hearing impaired children and guidance to their families,
2. conduct research, investigation and experiments in education of hearing impaired children, and
3. train teachers of the hearing impaired.

Akshar Trust runs Akshar Centre for Hearing Impaired Children and Teacher Training Programme D. Ed. SE (HI).

Many of our earliest children have gone on to finish their graduate and post-graduate studies from the MS University of Baroda. Manisha Sindkar got 53 % in M.Com and has been absorbed in the ONGC as Accountant while Kanaka Bhat has recently finished her M.Com with 58 % and worked with an export house. Presently she is married and the mother of a 2 year old daughter.

The Centre started with 5 children and has now expanded to a regular school with 144 children, who are taught in 2 mediums - Gujarati and Hindi. The aim is to give them an education in their mother tongue. (One must remember that for a hearing impaired child, only a single language is preferred.) Our curriculum follows that of the Gujarat Board but we are adapting the text books since our children's needs are different. We take in children as young as possible. Our youngest child has been 12 months old. This is essential for hearing impaired children as the years 0-3 are the period of optimum learning. Intervention at this stage gives the child a head start. The Early Intervention (Infant) Programme includes regular parent-teacher meetings, informal discussions and home visits. Parents are counselled about the implications of the impairment, the educational alternatives available and the manner in which they can most ably assist their child.

No hearing impaired child is refused admission. Even children with problems in addition to hearing impairment are admitted. All children come dressed in the prescribed uniform. The workday is divided into class periods including co-curricular activities such as karate training, art and hobby classes. We deal extensively and daily with amplification devices like hearing aids, group hearing aids, and speech trainers. Once we find a child with us who is ready for integration into a regular school, we try to mainstream him/her into that school. This is our Integration Programme. The child then studies and grows up with 'hearing' children and learns to adjust and operate in the 'hearing' world. However, the child also continues to come to the Centre for speech and language therapy. We have integrated a number of our children in this way.

In the school, the children are divided into three houses - Nehru, Gandhi, Tagore - which compete fiercely for honours on the Sports Day and the Annual Day each year! Our children also actively participate in city level dance, drama, painting and performance competitions throughout the academic year, often winning prizes (they bagged the Jagdish Kaur Chawla Rolling Trophy of SOCLEEN for Inter-School Street-Play Competition, 2001) competing with 'hearing' children in their age group.

The District Administration has given Akshar Trust a 10,000 sq mt plot on the outskirts of the city. Architectural drawings for the planned facilities are ready. These include:

We are also planning to set up a cell to work on the making of solar-powered low-cost batteries for hearing aids so that these become affordable for even the economically weak. This facility would be planned along with a low-cost mould-making facility, since the growing child's ear size changes and the moulds need to be changed accordingly for the proper working of the hearing aids. An in-house facility like this would be a great help in the independent functioning of the institution.

One of the Trust's long-range plans is to extend our work to rural areas where the need is even more acute. This would include identification of hearing impairment, fitting of low-cost hearing aids, and the training of mothers with hearing impaired children.

With the new campus planned for Akshar Trust on the land given by the Government, generous donors will be acknowledged at the building. This will be in the shape of nameplates at the entrance of the particular facility.

The Akshar Trust is a not-for-profit, voluntary, secular organisation. It is registered with the Charity Commissioner, Baroda, under the Bombay Public Trust Act, 1950. It is also recognised by the Director of Social Defence, Government of Gujarat. All donations to the Trust are exempted under section 80 (G) of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

With prior appointment, you are most welcome to visit our Centre.

Please contact:
Nisha Grover
Managing Trustee
Akshar Trust
11th Floor, Kirti Tower
Next to Kirti Mandir
Tilak Road
Vadodara 390 001 (Gujarat)
India
Phone: +91-265-2427522, +91-265-2427544
Phone (Centre): +91-265-6458117
Fax: +91-265-2427599
Email: akshartrust@gmail.com

Dr. Paul Miller, a researcher at the Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Israel was invited to present 2 research papers on "Addressing the Reading Difficulties of Children With Hearing Impairment" and "Relation Between Pre-lingual Hearing Loss, Communication Mode and Reading" at the conference.

Two of our senior students completed M.Com from the M.S. University of Baroda many years ago. At the moment, one student is in the Fine Arts Faculty, one is in B.Com. and one has joined the Department of Family and Community Sciences, M.S. University of Baroda. Almost all these children have been with us since their childhood. They were all in the Early Intervention Programme. It is a specially designed programme as the aim is to make the child acquire language and speech skills so that s/he is a part of the community.

• 55 Students from S.K.G. to Std. 4 (Gujarati & Hindi Medium) went for a picnic to "Reva Park" Waghodia Road, Vadodara from 9.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. on 23rd December, 2009. They played in the garden and had lunch of Pav Bhaji, Gulab Jamun and Cake. They were accompanied by 5 teachers - Ms. T Shah, Ms. N Mazumdar, Ms. B Baria, Ms. C Gandhi and Ms. A Nagarkar with 1 ayah.
• 54 Students of Std 5 to 8 Gujarati & Hindi Medium, 10 Gujarati &12 Hindi Medium, with 19 Teachers and staff members of Akshar School went for a picnic to "Kaavi-Kamboi" near Jambusar, from 8.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. On 22nd January, 2010. The children played cricket, badminton and football. All had snacks and lunch. There is a temple of 'Stambheshwar Mahadev' at the site.

• Ms. Dolcy Simon Dy. Director and Mr. Dhirubhai Patel a member of the allocation committee from United Way of Baroda visited Akshar Centre.
• Mr. Manish Kulkarni, from Siemens Ltd. came to take ear mould impressions of 5 students. Extra 2 children's impressions were also taken.
• 8 students of Std. 2 & 3 (Hindi Medium) went to see a 'Police Station' at Laheripura Gate. They were accompanied by Ms. N. Mazumdar & Ms. M. Gaikwad.
• 12 students of Std. 3 (Gujarati Medium) went to see a 'Police Station' at Leheripura Gate. They were accompanied by Ms. T. Shah & Ms. M. Gaikwad.
• 'Baroda Ladies Circle-76' Baroda donated 65 umbrellas to students of Sr. KG. to Std. 6 Ms. Mona Bhatnagar, Ms. Nirali Shah with other members had come.
• Mrs. Lakhwani, Palak's mother, donated 74 numbers of pencil-cells for the children who are using Pocket model hearing aids.
• 40 students of Sant Kabir School visited the Akshar Centre. They interacted with the children
• Elections were held for Head Girl, Head Boy and Captain of Nehru House, Gandhi House and Tagore House.
• Professor Dr. Janet Wilson, Dr. Lisa Smith Asst. Dean, School of Arts, University Founder Trustee of Bhasha Research Centre visited.
• 22 students of Std. VII to XII were invited by Gen. Harkirat Singh, Commandant of the EME School for a Football Match. They were accompanied by Mr. P. Rathod and Mr. V. Baria; snacks were served to the students.
• 35 students of Std. 5 to 12th participated in 'Prerna 2009 the Emancipation' organised by students of Faculty of Technology and Engineering. They took part in Carrom, Rangoli, Painting, Pot Designing, Mehandi and Glass Painting; 4 students got prizes
• Ms. N. Grover and Ms. K. Thakkar attended the Annual Gen. Meeting of Baroda Ladies Circle-76 at WelcomHotel.
• Ms. N. Grover was invited by 'Ekansh', a NGO in Pune, working toward the goal of inclusion and better amenities for the disabled and elderly, for a 2 day conference, "No Disabilities, Infinite Possibilities", to present a paper on 'Inclusive Education'.
• 22 Students of Gujarati & Hindi medium Std. 3 visited Jubilee Baug, to study different kinds of trees. They were accompanied by Ms. T. Shah and Ms. N. Mazumdar.
• Election was held for Vice Captains to help the Captains of the school..!!
• 5 students - Lay Gandhi, Khushbu Rajput, Ahedia Kureshi, Rinkal Parikh and Nishang Panchal received SIEMENS BTE Hearing Aids donated by Samaj Kalayan Trust. Parents were counseled on the use and maintenance of these hearing aids.
• Mr. Paul Mason of Paul Mason & Company, U.K. based IT company, visited Akshar Trust with 35 staff members of P.M.C. Consultancy. They donated 2 Computers, 16 Boxes of Pencils and a Student Management Software System for the hearing impaired students. This will help to manage students history and data more effectively.
• 32 students of E.I, Std. 3 Hindi & Gujarati medium, Std. 5 Gujarati medium went to Kamati Baug to see different kinds of animals and birds.
• Teachers Day was celebrated on 8th September, 2009. Senior students played the part of teachers in various classes from 9.30 a.m. to 11.00 a.m.
• 13 students of Std. 7 and 8 Gujarati medium and Std. 8 Hindi medium were invited by the Commandant of EME School, Maj. Gen. Harkirat Singh, to see a Volleyball Match at EME school. They were accompanied by Mr. K. Thakkar & Mr. P. Rathod. Snacks were served to the students.
• Ms. Neelam J. Patel, student of Nagar School of Optometry, conducted screening of eyes of all the students. 25 students had eye problem. They were advised to go for further checkup at the clinic.
• Mr. Manish Kulkarni, from Siemens Ltd., came to take ear mould impressions of 5 students. Extra 2 children's impressions were also taken.
• Urmi School organised a 'Drawing Competition' for special children. 17 students took part in it. They were accompanied by Ms. S. Gupte & Ms. P. Shah.
• Ladies of 'Baroda Ladies Circle-76' visited the centre. They donated 1000 Panasonic Gold Plus (Pencil Cells) to the school for the students. They adopted one child, Vishakha Kharva, for one year.
• 12 students of Std. 5 Gujarati medium and Std. 6 Gujarati and Hindi medium went for 'Garba' at 'Bal Bhavan' in the evening after school with their parents.
• Akshar Centre organised Garba for the students. The girls came in colourful Chaniya-Cholis and the boys came in colourful Jhaba-Pyjamas. The teachers too played garba with the students. All enjoyed it!
• Mook Badhir Mandal organised a Rally for 'World Deaf Day' from Nazarbaug (Mandvi) to Sayajigunj Sardar Statue from 4.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m. 4 students took part in it. They were accompanied by Ms. T. Shah, Mr. K. Thakkar and Ms. P. Kayastha.
• Vadodara Marathon 2009 organised World's Longest Canvas Painting for school children on 2nd October, Gandhi Jayanti. It was 3.5 km long canvas placed on poles, shaped like Lotus. This was an attempt to enter the "Guiness Book of World Records" Children were given acrylic colours and brushes. They were given the topic "Traffic". 29 students took part in it.
• 10 students of Std. 12 Commerce Gujarati medium were invited by Paul Mason Consultancy, a software company to see their office at Subhanpura. They were accompanied by Ms. N. Grover and Ms. A. Dalal.
• 12th October 2009 was the last working day of the first term. Children came in colorful dresses. There was a Rangoli competition, Painting competition and Mehandi competition.

• 12 Students between the ages of 6 to 12 years participated in painting competition on 13th February 2010 organised by Baroda Ladies Circle '76. All got certificates and chocolates.
• 42 students participated in a workshop organised at Navlakhi Vaav, Laxmi Vilas Palace, by Heritage Trust on 'Water Conservation and Heritage Awareness for Children'. Children painted and did clay modeling.
• Karate competition was held on 22, 23 February, 2010 at Lal Bahadur Shastri School, Karelibaug, Vadodara. Anshu Jha got 1st prize in 'KATA', Rahul Shah got 1st prize in 'KUMITE KATA', Hitesh Thakur got 2nd prize in 'KUMITE'.
• Ms. Jenny Sealey, Artistic Director, Ms. Jeni Draper, Mr. Amit Sharma and Mr. Narender Samra from Graeae Theatre Company, UK, visited the centre and worked with the students, teachers and trainees form February 22 to 24, 2010.

Annual Events

Annual Days are celebrated every year. The children take time to rehearse and enjoy the event. The trainees also give performances.

Sports Days are also celebrated annually. The children of the school march to the beats of the drum in spite of their hearing impairment. There are different games for the tiny tots, parents and siblings. The children enjoy cheering their parents and siblings... .!

We have started referring children with the additional handicaps to K.G.P. Children's Hospital for Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy.

• Classes for parents on Finger Spelling and Signs have also been started.


• In the Early Intervention Programme sessions are held on an individual basis. These sessions help the parents to carry on the work at home.
• Audiograms of the children are taken by an ENT Surgeon regularly. The Trust does not charge for these audiograms.

• Dr. Prabha Ghate a specialist in deaf education visited the centre on 5th 6th February 2010. She demonstrated the use of Total Communication to the teachers and teacher trainees.
• Ms. Mandira Banerjee, a well-known educationist from Pune, visited the centre on 5th March 2010. She gave a Lecture to teachers and teacher trainees on 'Learning and the Brain'. Ms. K Thakkar translated the information of lectures for the teachers & trainees in Gujarati.

Teacher Training Programme

Results for the year 2007-09 Batch:
2nd Year: First Class: 9, Second Class: 9.

Teacher Training Activities

• Written test for the selection of first year trainees year 2009-10 was held. The test was to assess the General Knowledge and language of candidates.
• Personal Interview of the candidate is held for final selection. SDO of Vadodara, Mr. Chaudhary, Ms. Nisha Grover and Dr. Bhartiben Modi (Ex HOD of Linguistic Department) were the members of the selection committee.
• New First Year batch for the academic year 2009-10 started.
• Akshar Trust conducted CRE Programme of three days sponsored by Rehabilitation Council of India on 'Language Development of Hearing Impaired Children'. The programme was organised at Akshar Centre for Hearing Impaired Children. 30 special educators from all over Gujarat and Mumbai participated in the programme.

• United Way had celebrated 'Disability Week' between 3rd to 13th December 2009. As a part of that Akshar Trust organised Community Based Rehabilitation Programme on 7th and 8th December at Akshar Centre. The aspects of identification, prevention and early intervention were included in the programme.
• Meeting of NCED Gujarat Chapter Executive Committee was held at Akshar Centre on 9th December. The agenda was presentation of audited accounts, election of new executive committee and discussion of other issues.
• Second year trainees presented 3 educational projects to the students of Akshar Centre in the school premises on 10th and 11th December 2009: 1. Our Earth (Geography) 2. 'Light' (Science) 3. Basic Geometry.

Admission Procedure

For the first time Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) is conducting 'All India Online Aptitude Test'.

Now is the time for senior trainees to get back to work and start studying..!!

Visits made by Trainees

• First Year Trainees visited Lion's Blind School, Arpan School Ear Mould Lab, Anatomy Department Medical College and the Laxmi Vilas Palace.


 

• Both the years' trainees participate in Sports days and Annual Days regularly every year.

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