SWID Bangladesh pioneered special education system in Bangladesh and still it is the largest organization which provides special education for the intellectually disabled through its special schools.
Establishment of SWID Bangladesh which is the pioneer organization in the field of Neurodevelopmental Disabilities with scope of work on advocacy including disability movement, social awareness towards the disabled people, their education, socialization, social security, legal rights, entertainment employment rehabilitation and social dignity. Presently it is organizing 135 schools at 61 Districts under 8 Divisions covering District Head Quarters to Upazila and UP areas of the country, providing Special Education, Vocational Training and Integrated School & Inclusive Education through parents and social cooperation to achieve normalization of the PWID and Autism with the Family and Community Based Rehabilitation. No. of beneficiaries/students with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism raised in 12000.
Providing clinical and therapeutic services with assessment of the clients, counseling to the parents, speech therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and intensive care for the children with Down syndrome and Cerebral palsy under the National Institute for the Intellectually Disabled & Autistic (NIIDA).
SWID is in the mainstreaming and social dignity of the nation child with intellectual disabilities, Autism Down syndrome and Cerebral Palsy.
In this movement SWID established a positive concept and environment in avoiding negative attitude of community people about intellectual disabilities and autism through its activities on special education and training. As a result, our disabled and autistic children have achieved bright success in winning the World Special Olympics gold medal.
SWID Supports in providing technical and professional cooperation to establish “Sena Sohayok School” under supervision of ‘Sena Paribar Kollayan Aamiti’ in 2006 at Dhaka Cantonment area which is now known as “PROYASH” (A special school for the children with special needs). In the beginning of this school, SWID provided assessment of disabled children, teaching with IEP and therapeutic services through its senior professionals & teachers. Now “Prayash” has become an international Standard School with its educational, cultural activities and infra- structural facilities. So SWID feels very proud of better development and expansion of schools at Chittagong, Jessore and Ghatail Cantonment areas.
In appreciation of SWID Bangladesh the government came forward with financial support. Govt established ‘Jatiyo Protibondhi Unnayan Foundation’ under the ministry of social welfare in cooperation of SWID.
SWID provided active cooperation to form ‘Jatiyo Protibondhi Forum’, organized various programs on Disability right for welfare of the PWD which became a Network organization of 380. Establishment of a National Institute for the intellectually disabled and Autistic (NIIDA) research on disabilities, PWID and autism, down syndrome and cerebral palsy.
II. Awareness development and government involvement
III. Professional development
IV. Cultural development of the persons with intellectual disability
Place | Year | Gold medal | Silver medal | Bronze Medal | Total Medal |
World Special Olympics, USA | 1991 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 8 |
1995 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 20 | |
1999 | 23 | 10 | 7 | 40 | |
Asia Pacific Special Olympics, China | 1996 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 12 |
World Special Olympics World Games, Ireland | 2003 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 22 |
Asia pacific Special Olympics, Brunei | 2005 | 12 | 10 | 02 | 24 |
First International Special Olympics Cricket-Cup Tournament, India | 2006 | Runner-up (Silver trophy) | |||
Special Olympics World Game, Shanghai, China | 2007 | 32 | 24 | 15 | 71 |
2nd Special Olympics Asia Pacific Bocce Competition Brunei | 2008 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 15 |
International Asia Pacific Cricket Carnival, Delhi, India | 2009 | Runner-up | |||
Special Olympics World Games-2011, Athens, Greece | 2011 | 35 | 16 | 07 | 58 |
South Asian Football, Dhaka, Bangladesh | 2012 | Champion | |||
4th Asia Pacific Bocce Games, Brunei, Darussalam | 2012 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 13 |
World Special Olympics Winter Games (Floor Hockey), Pyeongchang, Korea | 2013 | Champion | |||
Special Olympics Asia Pacific Games, Newcastle, Australia | 2013 | 43 | 20 | 7 | 70 |
SWID Bangladesh has pioneered the inclusive education in Bangladesh. It promotes mainstream education of the intellectually disabled children. As a part of its initiative it took the following programs which had some positive impacts in promoting access of the disabled in the country:
The results of the action:
Number of teachers trained:
As a result of teachers training and demonstration of integration of the disabled people in the non-formal schools of BRAC, the BRAC authority started disabled children education program in their schools with their own initiative, which is a part of our achievement.
VI. Formation of other auxiliary organizations
SWID Bangladesh has taken some initiatives, for the establishment of other organizations for the benefit of the intellectually disabled persons of Bangladesh. Those are:
VII. Networking with other organizations
SWID Bangladesh maintains working relationship with organizations of same category to achieve its goal. It is a full member of Inclusion International, and Asian Federation for the Intellectually Disabled (AFID).