Kashmir's Specially-Abled Decry Stigma

As Jammu and Kashmir marks World Disability Day, parents of specially-abled children have once again highlighted a longstanding concern—the acute shortage of special schools across the Union Territory, a gap they say is depriving their children of quality education and essential developmental support.

- Observer News Service

Speaking to KNO, several parents expressed frustration, saying that despite repeated appeals, dedicated educational facilities for children with special needs remain virtually nonexistent in most areas. They lamented that children are losing precious years due to missing infrastructure.

Parents said the absence of accessible, disability-friendly education centres forces many children to remain confined to their homes.

Nelofar Akhter, a mother from south Kashmir, said countless families like hers struggle daily. "There are so many specially-abled children who simply cannot attend school because there are no special schools nearby,” she said.

Akhter added that her own son would also have remained out of school had it not been for Zeba Apa School in Bijbehara, an institution started by Javed Ahmad Tak, a Padma Shri awardee who himself is physically challenged.

“If this school hadn't existed, my child would have been at home like many others. There are no government-run special schools that offer such support,” she added.

Other parents said that Abhenandana Home in Srinagar is the only prominent facility available, but it cannot meet the needs of children across the entire Union Territory.