Consent of parents or guardians should be obtained for services provided to differently-abled children in BUDS schools and they will be allowed inside the therapy rooms. If parents cannot be allowed inside, they should be able to observe the proceedings through observation windows, CCTV, or other electronic/non-electronic mode, say draft guidelines issued for BUDS school and BUDS rehabilitation centres in the State.
The draft guidelines, issued by the Social Justice department, are intended to ensure minimum standards, facilities, quality of rehabilitation programmes, and services for differently-abled children in BUDS schools and BUDS rehab centres (for those above the age of 18).
To get registration, both BUDS schools and BUDS rehab centres should have a minimum of 16 students. They should have one teacher for every eight children, say the guidelines.
The teachers need to be registered with the Rehabilitation Council of India. Those who have been teaching at the institutions and have more than two years’ experience should not be removed from service without valid reasons.
The institutions should have a nurse and an ayah (for cooking and cleaning) as caregivers with the beneficiary ratio at 1:16. Differently abled persons will be given preference in appointment of caregiver and sweeper.
The draft guidelines lay down that a doctor should visit a BUDS school/BUDS rehab centre once every month. Services of speech therapist, physiotherapist, and occupational therapist should be available twice a week.
The institutions should have a wide selection of indoor and outdoor play and therapy equipment such as beads, blocks, toys, peg boards, balls, clay, percussion instruments, blackboard, gardening tools, simple stair set, rocking horse/boat, slides, and see-saw, besides picture and number books and books as per SCERT syllabus.
They should maintain daily attendance and follow-up register, case history, periodic evaluation reports, and therapy summary, and maintain these documents for minimum of five years.
An annual report on the performance of the institutions should be submitted before October 31 every year.
The draft stipulates that the schools should have at least 15 cents of land in corporation and municipalities and 20 cents in panchayat limits. They should have a minimum built-up area of 25 sq ft for one child. The schools buildings should have five rooms, of which two should be classrooms, one recreation room, one therapy room, and a vocational training room.
The guidelines will be finalised after taking the opinion of the public, institutions, and organisations.
