About Us

Helen Keller

Late Dr. Helen Keller, the prodigy and genius who opened the door of educating Deaf and Deafblind, was herself Deafblind.

She has said, A person who is severely handicapped never knows his own hidden strength until he is treated like a normal human being and allowed to be supported to shape his own life for life is either a challenge or nothing at all!

Robert J. Smithdas, a living legendary Deafblind man, dedicates these lines to
Helen Keller:

"The one who walked the distance of a lifetime without fear,
that darkness is a challenge to the soul,
and silence has a language we must learn,
that we are tested in the crucible of circumstances to know our inner strengths,
to break our own paths that will mark the way,
from small beginnings to still greater things."

Genesis

It all began in 1977 when three experienced teachers of the Deaf asked themselves a question: "Who is a deaf multiply handicapped / Deafblind child?" This child was already on our doorstep then. The Helen Keller Institute is a school managed by an Executive Committee which is an administrative body titled as, "The Helen Keller Institute for the Deaf and Deafblind." The Institute is registered with the Charity Commissioner under the Societies Registration Act 1860 and the Bombay Public Trust Act of 1950 and with the Commissioner of Income Tax under Section 80-G of the Income Tax Act 1961 under section 35 AC for 100 % exemption under Income Tax Act. Thus we established, "The Helen Keller Institute for Deaf and Deafblind" on July 11, 1977 with 2 Deafblind children, 1 deaf child, 3 teachers, a group of Committee Members and Rs.150/-, in the home of one of the teachers. It is now a pioneering institute in India, in fact in Asia, to start a programme for Deafblind children. Its commitment came from the belief that, "No one is incapable of being taught and no one can do without education. It is the fundamental birthright of every child to be loved and to be educated. It is also the first institute in India to follow the philosophy of "TOTAL COMMUNICATION" in teaching the Deaf, Deaf Multiply Handicapped and Deafblind. Its vision is to create, build and develop services for the Deaf / Deaf Multiply Handicapped / Deafblind children and young adults through Day-Care/Residential Facilities and other ancillary services.

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Mission Objectives

Our thrust is towards the community's acceptance as a joint partnership responsibility with the child's family and educators. This is how we try to achieve it by preparing our own children. As envisaged in the Memorandum of our Institute we offer the following services to provide a Quality of Life to every deaf and Deafblind child:

Free / subsidized education, transport, nutrition, hearing aids, and medical facilities, uniform.
Counseling services for children, teachers and parents.
Pre-vocational training and every effort to rehabilitate him / her in the society.
Free / subsidized residential facilities for Deafblind children residing outside Mumbai.

The Institute has helped educate and train 32 Deafblind children and 130 deaf children, since its inception in July 1977. At present, the Institute has 25 Deafblind and 64 deaf children on its roll. The institute is now recognized nationally and internationally and is aided by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, New Delhi and Women, Child and Handicapped Development Office, Maharashtra. It has two separate schools - one for deaf, another for Deafblind children, and a special residential unit for Deafblind children residing outside Mumbai.

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Centers

Aditya Birla Centre

CC-1, T.T.C., M.I.D.C.,

Shil Mhape Road,

Navi Mumbai - 400701.

Tel: 2778 2214 / 2778 2193 /

2778 1226

Email: nunayak@mtnl.net.in

hkivashi@vsnl.net /

hkidbttc@vsnl.net