Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2001

Publication Title

International Journal of Special Education

Volume

16

Issue

1

Pages

54-66

Abstract

India is a country of contradictions. On one hand, India is a modern country moving toward becoming a world leader in computer technology and boasts the second most computer literate population in the world (Babington, 2000; Kumar, 1999). On the other hand, India is a developing nation with 14 constitutionally recognized languages, 25% of the world's malnourished (Babington, 2000), and a majority that practices customs in everyday life that are 5,000 year old (Kumar, 1999). India is rich in natural resources and yet, because its population grows as quickly as its economy, it has one of the world's lowest per-capita incomes (Choudhury, Gamkhar, & Ghose, 1990). This article discusses the efforts being made in India today to break from past treatment of individuals with disabilities. In 1995, India passed The Persons with Disabilities Act the first comprehensive legislation intended to require services for individuals with disabilities. Under this law, the education of children with mental retardation has the potential of undergoing some of the most dramatic changes ever experienced. This article discusses this law, its implementation, and the hopes and challenges the law poses for India in the new millennium.

Original Publication Citation

Raver, S.A. (2001). India: Training teachers for children with mental retardation. International Journal of Special Education, 16(1), 54-66.

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