Govt urged to provide more affordable special needs schools

KUALA LUMPUR: OKU Sentral will suggest to the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM) to provide more affordable platforms such as classes and schools for special needs children to get education and skills, said its president Senator Datuk Ras Adiba Radzi.

Ras Adiba said she had been in talks with the ministry on the matter to help parents with special needs children who are struggling financially to send them to school.

"At this time of the pandemic where people are affected....I know there are classes and schools that are very expensive....so we must make sure it is affordable," she told Bernama after attending the Artisan Exhibition at Royal Lake Club here today.

Ras Adiba advised parents with special needs children to obtain more reading materials online and get together by joining associations to better understand their children and get support from other parents.

Ras Adiba lauded the event, which is held in conjunction with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (PwD) as it brought together PwDs and those who are abled-bodied during the pandemic.

Hosted by artist-entrepreneurs Mandakini Negi and Shikha Grover, the exhibition is a tribute to artists across the world especially women who have embarked on countless endeavours to survive the COVID-19 pandemic.

The exhibition also displays the paintings of animals in vibrant colours made by Rajendrra Vharma, 7, who is autistic.

Rajendrra's father Mohanan Perumal said his son ventured into arts on his own when he was four.

"My brother who's a lecturer at Universiti Putra Malaysia gave him a big canvas to identify Rajendrra's interests and told us to let him do it (the painting) by himself. Apparently, he came out with his creation after only three days and we actually gave him a month to finish," he said.

-- BERNAMA