The new textbooks for children with disabilities have been simplified, with more pictures, white space, and repetition. These have been curated specifically for Tamil, English, and Mathematics

In a bid to make textbooks accessible for children with disabilities, the new curriculum for Classes 1-3, designed by the State Council for Education Research and Training, has adapted textbooks to their needs.

From children with specific learning disability to neurodivergent children, the new textbooks are created to ensure that their learning outcomes are also met.

The inclusive textbooks have been simplified for children with disabilities, with more pictures, white space, and repetition.

“We prioritised accessibility over sheer volume so that sensory overload can be avoided, which can be the case with a standard textbook,” an official from the School Education Department said.

The department used the Pictorial-Abstract-Concrete (PAC) approach, where the child transitions from tangible objects to visual representations and finally to abstract symbols to anchor their basic literacy and numeracy. It uses simple language and trimmed exercises, tailored to their learning needs.

“The streamlined textbook and worksheets feature a spacious layout with generous writing spaces and significantly larger fonts. These textbooks have been curated specifically for Tamil, English, and Mathematics,” the official said.

Sign language videos

“The child can access the adapted and audio textbooks from the QR code on the textbooks, and there are sign language videos available for deaf children on Kalvi TV,” the official added.

Along these lines, the department, in a first, has come out with interactive worksheets. They comprise games based on the lessons taken in class. These will help the child grasp the concept more effectively, the official adds.

The difficulty level of the game increases according to the concept taught in Classes 1-5, but the base remains the same. “In counting, which begins from Class 1, they [the students] will have to arrange the numbers in the ascending and descending order, and then comes addition, and so forth,” the official said.

These have been designed for Classes 1-3 for English and Mathematics, and will soon be designed for Tamil too. In the textbooks, there are QR codes to the exercises are given after the lessons, he said.

“Parents might find it difficult to keep up with their child’s learning. These would pave the way for the child and the parent to understand what happens in class and where their child stands in learning,” the official added.