: : : MADURAI YMCA : : :

‘Hearing Impairment is more complex and a much worse misfortune because of the loss of the most vital stimulus, the sound of the voice that brings languages, sets thoughts and helps us in intellectual company of men and women’. These immortal words of the great scholar Helen Keller seem to have moved the Madurai YMCA during late 1960’s. Hearing impaired child born into a family was considered a curse and a burden or a punishment from God. Having witnessed the helpless situation and complex problems of the hearing impaired young people, the Madurai YMCA initiated a special school in the year 1971. Over these years, our services have proved that the children who suffer hearing loss can be successfully trained to overcome the deficiency and lead a happy life. The programmes such as the preschool, special school, integrated education, capacity building and skill development fulfils the dire needs of the aurally and the orally challenged boys and girls between the age of 3 and 21 with residential facilities. Nearly 1200 boys and girls have successfully completed their studies and are now happily integrated into their own communities.

The Preschool trains young hearing impaired children from 2½ years in speech language, auditory training and lip reading for 3 years and integrate them in regular schools.

The special school follows the Tamilnadu state curriculum and every year hearing impaired students appear for the X standard Government examinatioins and passout, successfully. More than 60 hearing impaired students have been integrated at the Capron Hall Higher Secondary School for girls and RC Primary School for boys. Many of our students are graduated and are employed. The capacity building programme 0ffers life skills training in basic english and computer education. The skill training center offers training in Bakery and Tailoring for hearing impaired dropouts and graduates.