I am proud of what everyone at IICP has achieved. It is no mean feat.... Inclusion is taking baby steps. It’s good to see a glimmer of hope in the eyes of parents who come to IICP now 

Sudha Kaul

This teacher has never stopped learning. She believes that life has taught her the best lessons. Sitting in her office at the Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy in Taratala, founder and vice-chairperson Sudha Kaul is a picture of poise.

"I have retired for a while. My colleagues, many of whom were my students, run the show now," Kaul said, softly. Get her talking about IICP's journey and her "extended family" of students, friends and colleagues and she is brimming with enthusiasm. "I am proud of what they have all achieved. It is no mean feat."

Kaul, who was inducted into The Telegraph Education Foundation Hall of Fame at The Telegraph School Awards for Excellence 2016, on Saturday, felt her IICP family deserved the award.

But her journey has been a unique one. "I did not know what cerebral palsy meant till my son Arjun was diagnosed with the condition," said Kaul, a librarian by profession. A meeting with Dr Berta and Karel Bobath, creators of the Bobath Concept - a revolutionary approach to neurological rehabilitation - made Kaul realise that though cerebral palsy could not be treated, a lot could be done through therapy.

"They asked me to help those suffering from this disorder. Calcutta then had no institution catering to children with special needs," she said.

Kaul was asked to look up Ballygunge resident Perin Aibara, a Bobath therapist. "I returned from England and got in touch with Aibara. Some friends, parents and professionals also joined in and the IICP dream got rolling."

That was in the Seventies and Kaul was in her 20s. She and her friends had no experience in teaching, only faith in the learning ability of all children to keep them going. A bright child with cerebral palsy, Madhuri Kapur, and her mother joined Kaul's army and reinstated her faith. Kapur went on to become an IICP employee for many years, before her death a month ago.

"I had only Rs 1,000 to spare and a wish to learn," Kaul said. From husband Om, who organised a tea auction to raise funds, to friends helping her start the school from two rooms in the Ballygunge Cantonment area, Kaul got help from all quarters and IICP opened doors on November 18, 1974.

The response was phenomenal with students coming from faraway places and even other states. "I remember the parents who would come to us. Most were as clueless as we had been," said Kaul.

She recalled seeing a child tied to a pole during a field visit to Bolpur. A horrified Kaul demanded an explanation from the mother. "What the mother told me rendered me speechless. She would go to the fields to work and if the child was left alone, she would tear her clothes and run wild. Tying her up was the mother's way of saving her from greater danger," she said. The incident taught the new teacher never to be judgemental. Instead, she decided to show people what could be done, offer them solutions but never impose her beliefs on anyone.

From learning life's lessons to bagging a Phd in augmentative and alternative communication from Manchester Metropolitan University in her 40s, this Padma Shri recipient has never stopped learning, teaching or mentoring. "With the IICP going from strength to strength, it was imperative for us to shift to a larger property. It was a proud moment for me when we shifted to our Taratala building in 1986," Kaul said.

IICP today is functioning in association with over 20 district partners, several affiliates, NGOs, parent groups and fieldwork agencies. It is no longer just a school, but houses a special educator's training college (the BEd degree is recognised by JU), an advocacy wing Ankur, vocational therapy centre Roshni, an augmentative and alternative communication wing, early intervention unit, adult day centre, short stay residential services, social service department, therapy services, a research wing and many other units. "We also offer afternoon playschool and nutrition to 114 disadvantaged children from the nearby slums," said Kaul. The institute is all set to open its first physiotherapy unit meant for the common people.

She was the president of the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Canada, giving her the opportunity to bring world-class therapy and teaching methods to IICP. She also chaired a committee that drafted the new disability bill and is waiting for it to be tabled.

A happy grandmother, Kaul enjoys reading - Henrik Ibsen's plays are her favourite - watching movies and cooking a Kashmiri meal. Ever a teacher, she enjoys mentoring young trainers. "Inclusion is taking baby steps. It's good to see a glimmer of hope in the eyes of parents who come to IICP now," she concluded.

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