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2021 AT Course certification ceremony

The first batch of the AT course 2019 cycle

All About

AT Course Programme

National Institute of Speech & Hearing (NISH) and National Institute for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (NIPMR) are collaborating to conduct the third batch of part-time Assistive Technology (AT) course from March 2022 to June 2022. This is a first of its kind in India, combining international expertise as well as local know-how in a unique online learning model.

The format of the course has been updated and revised to a 3-month duration. The entire course will be conducted online with an optional 3-day face-to-face session, at NISH, Thiruvananthapuram, the dates of which will be announced soon.

The course would consist of a series of workshops by practitioners in AT. The course participants are expected to be from varied backgrounds, with an interest in deploying AT solutions for persons with disability (PwDs).

The class will get together on an online platform for 5 to 6 hours every week, where they will interact and learn from AT experts as well as AT users such as Ms Regina Ramdas(Al Noor School, Dubai), Mr Nekram Upadhyay (ISIC, New Delhi), Dr Ajish Abraham (AIISH, Mysore), Dr Shovan Saha (Manipal University, Manipal), Ms Kalpana Botta (Vidyasagar, Chennai), Ms Swati Chakraborty and Mr Dipak Ghosh (IICP, Kolkata).

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Click here to download the programme brochure.

Need and relevance of the course

Assistive technology enhances the quality of life of persons with disabilities. The Rights of Persons with Disability (RPwD) Act of 2016 mandates Central and State Governments to facilitate development of technology, assistive devices and equipment, and their usage to ensure full and effective participation and inclusion for persons with disabilities in the society. Technology nowadays makes it possible to achieve inclusion at a very low cost. Awareness and implementation know-how are important. Last mile difficulties can be overcome by evidence-based implementation

Duration

Asynchronous and Synchronous sessions (Google classroom) – complete reading assignments, participate in online discussion forums and also work on project. Five to six hours every week, preferably on weekends during evening to accommodate working professionals also. From March to June 2022.
Three-day face-to-face camp at NISH, Trivandrum (Optional, dates to be announced)

Program Over view

Course Eligibility

Professionals or graduates with an experience in disability, tech-savvy, self-driven and with an interest to collaborate with different stakeholders in the assistive technology ecosystem. Rehabilitation/Health professionals like Occupational Therapists, Speech Language Pathologists, physiotherapists, social workers and medical professionals will be most benefited. Engineers and assistive technology developers wishing to understand end users of AT and their needs better will also find the course useful.

Course Requirement

Since the participant would be expected to complete assignments and participate in discussion forums online, he or she MUST have access to a PC or a laptop, with at least 1Mbps internet connection.

Course Cost

Three-month, part-time, online Certificate Course on AT	₹ 15000 INR
Three-day face-to-face camp at NISH Trivandrum (optional)	₹ 5500 INR (includes food and accommodation)

Course Outcomes

For…

A rehabilitation or health professional:

The course will broaden your knowledge regarding the technologies available in the Indian context. You will be exposed to the AT service delivery process, which is essential to maximize AT adoption and minimize Abandonment.

an engineer / technology developer/ Entrepreneur:

The course will provide you an in-depth understanding of assistive technology solutions and support your first step in the design thinking process, which is to empathise with the end users of AT, that is, persons with disability. You will also learn about the gaps in the existing AT solutions in the market.

a Person with Disability (PwD) or a caregiver of a PwD:

The course will increase your awareness of the several AT solutions available in India. You will meet persons with disability who are fore- runners in successfully adopting AT solutions in their everyday lives. The course will provide a platform for all the different stakeholders in the AT ecosystem to learn from ‘AT implementation’ experts, share their perspectives and build partnerships to jointly find solutions.

Course Topics and Resource Persons

Sl No	Course Topics	Resource Persons	Organization
1	AT assessment, implementation - transdisciplinary approach	Ms Regina Ramdas	Senior Assistive Technology Specialist, Al Noor School, Dubai
2	ICF perspective, AT abandonment, AT for persons with vision impairment	TBD	Program Director, Chetana Trust, Chennai
3	AT for persons with hearing impairment	Dr Ajish Abraham	Professor, Department of Electronics, AIISH-Mysore
4	AT for Seating & Positioning and AT for Mobility	Mr Nekram Upadhyay	Head, AT centre, Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, New Delhi
5	AT for hand rehabilitation	Dr Shovan Saha	Dept. of Occupational Therapy, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal
6	Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)	Ms Swati Chakraborty and Mr Dipak Ghosh	Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy (IICP), Kolkata
7	AT for computer access	Ms Kalpana Botta	Vidyasagar, Chennai
8	AT for persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)	Ms Akila Vaidyanathan, Nishant	Amaze Trust, Coimbatore
9	Three-day face-to-face camp (Optional, dates to be announced) -Introductory sessions, AT device display, built environment accessibility - tour of NISH, disability sensitization, introduction to Super Fablab, Kochi (tentative)	Centre for Assistive Technology & Innovation (CATI), NISH	NISH, Trivandrum