Sri Vidhyas Centre for the Special Children

In 1999, Shanti Venkat, a special educator, decided to begin a school that would make a difference to those who are too often left on the margins-differently disabled children. She was supported by a small group of parents of children with disabilities,parents who had seen her competence at close quarters and the effect it had had on their children.

Today, Sri Vidhya's Centre has evolved into a center that embodies her conviction that such children can be trained and taught the skills to manage their lives as independently as possible. Starting with just 8 students with cognitive disabilities of varying levels, the school now has nearly 110 students from different socio-economic backgrounds, representing a wide range of ability and function. The Center has a day school as well as a residential facility.

Truly inclusive:

What makes Sri Vidhyas different goes beyond its focus on the differently abled. It is a truly inclusive school in that it offers services at no cost to many students from the neighbouring slums, who would otherwise never have access to such facilities or expertise.

Mission of Sri Vidhya:

To impart intensive specialized training to students with mental retardation and other cognitive disabilities.
To make students self-reliant, helping them develop various life skills, and wherever possible, providing
vocational training.
To integrate special students into the mainstream of life.
To provide support and guidance to parents and family members of students with special needs.
To create and enhance public awareness and understanding of cognitive disabilities, and to promote positive interactions between the general public and those with mental retardation.