They are diploma holders and it is a diploma like no other. It imparts training in office automation and assistive technology, but also seeks to put the students in command of their lives. The fifteen students who completed the one-year programme successfully also learnt how to socialise with peers, be independent, besides other social skills.

Diploma in Office Automation and Assistive Technology, as it is called, is offered by National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities (NIEPMD) in Muttukadu. Affiliated with Bharathidasan University in Tiruchirappalli, the two-semester diploma programme is all set to have its fourth batch.

It is designed for those wired differently, blessed with different abilities. Among the 15 graduates, some have intellectual disabilities, some have multiple disabilities and a few are on the autism spectrum. Their abilities outshine their disabilities. At the farewell function held recently on the NIEPMD campus, no one was in any doubt about that. It was a moment to cherish for their parents and teachers.

There is a massive sense of achievement for parents of Suraag Sanjay K, and it comes from the fact that during the course of this diploma programme, he got used to travelling independently. For the first month, from his home in Ambattur to Muttukadu, Suraag, who has intellectual disability, and his father K.G. Sanjay would travel together. His father would drop him and wait at the campus till he finished classes in the evening. A gentle nudge from the faculty got the father-duo to effect a change in that routine. Today, Suraag travels on his own both ways; only on the home stretch, the last mile, the father picks up the son.

Suraag’s classmate Darshan, who has intellectual disability, started travelling by bus while pursuing Class XII. His father L. Gopi raised the bar during in the last one year making him travel by different bus routes. “For instance, during the Chennai Book Fair I dropped him one way and showed him the stop from where he could take his return journey. Another big change I saw in him is the ability to handle situations and also knowing what to speak when,” says Gopi, who works at a private firm.

Skills pertaining to financial literacy, communication and interpersonal dynamics got strengthened through structured group activities, helping the students engage more effectively with peers and instructors.

The curriculum also reinforced punctuality, discipline and teamwork, say parents of the students.

Besides a host of outdoor activities on the sprawling campus, a faculty from Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalitha Music and Fine Arts University visits the campus to offer music classes.

The computer lab for DOATT programme was set up with the sponsorship of Geetha Bhavan Trust which also developed a recreation lab for the students.

K. Balabaskar, Lecturer - DAIL, NIEPMD, says this inclusive, credit-based higher education programme is one of its kind in India.

“This is a college exclusive for those with special needs where we train them for a year in both technical know-how and essential life skills to equip them in all respects to take up higher studies or join the workplace,” says Balabaskar.

Parents of children with disabilities spend a lot on therapy. “At NIEPMD, it is available within the campus along with a host of other facilities that they can avail,” says Balabaskar,  adding that B. Nithya Prabha, Lecturer and R. Rajesh Kanna, Clinical Assistant are also part of the team.

The one-month internship was another way to sensitise students to the demands of the workplace. Institutions such as Ragas Dental College, TamilNadu JJ. Fisheries University, Karna Vidya Foundation, Anna Centenary Library, MEPZ - Tambaram and even a neighbourhood stationery shop were on board offering internships to students with disabilities.

M. Prabavathy, associate professor, Centre for Differently Abled Persons, Bharathidasan University, says the University has been offering a number of courses for those with special needs since 2011 and NIEPMD requested them to extend this effort to benefit a large section of students.

Under this MoU, Bharathidasan University designs the course, conducts exams and rewards certificates. NIEPMD is the implementing partner. (Bachelor of computer application for speech and hearing impaired, photo editing and 2D animation course for autism are among courses the University offers).

Prabavathy says these are courses where the outcome is more important than considerations such as how many students are enrolled. “Special students need individualised attention as the learning needs are unique for each of them. These courses are aimed at making them independent, both financially and personally,” says Prabavathy.

Balabaskar says some have gone in for higher studies in regular colleges, some have joined the Job Coaching Scheme for TNPSC examination and many have joined the workplace.