Important Milestones

Dec 1969

Inception of the School with Mrs. Menaka Parthasarathy as Principal and Mrs. Saraswathi Narayanaswamy as Headmistress.

Feb 1980

“The Srinivasan Parthasarathy Trust”- The management body of the school is constituted.

A National Seminar on “Education of the Hearing- Impaired” and Exhibition of Teaching Materials” held in connection with the Decennial Celebrations of the School -. His Excellency Sri Prabhudass Patwari, The Governor of Madras Presides.

Feb 1984

“Breaking the Silence”- handbook for Teachers of the Hearing - Impaired, approved and financed by the National Council for Education Research and Training, New Delhi- published by the School.

Jun 1989

The School moves into it’s the new premises at Shastri Nagar.

Feb 1990

The 20th Anniversary of the School. A National Seminar on “Integration of Deaf Children into the Mainstream through pre- School Training” is conducted.

Jul 1990

The Principal Mrs. Saraswathi Narayanaswamy presents a paper on “Early Language Development in Deaf Children through Informal Inputs”. at the Centenary Celebrations of Alexander Graham Bell Association - International Convention at Washington D.C., U.S.A.

Dec 1994

Silver Jubilee of the School - National Seminar on “Mainstreaming of Young Hearing-Impaired Children” is conducted. His Excellency Shri K.R.Narayanan, Vice President of India presides.

Jan 1997

“SAHAYAK” the Syllabus for teaching Hearing - Impaired children 0 to 6 years formulated by the School’s Principal gets Copyright.

Mar 1998

US $69,000.00 sanctioned by the Government of Japan for the Project on “Diagnostic & Early Intervention Centre”.

Nov 1998

Mrs.Saraswathi Narayanaswamy the principal of the school visits Japan as one of the 5 Indian Delegates and attends the Seminar conducted by FWEAP (Foundation for Welfare and Education of Asian People) in Tokyo.

Mar 2001

The Rehabilitation Council of India accorded recognition to the Diploma in Teaching Young Hearing Impaired (DTYHI).

Jul 2001

Balavidyalaya Institute for Teacher Training starts Diploma in Teaching Young Hearing Impaired (DTYHI) with the first batch of 10 Teacher Trainees.

Nov 2001

Mrs. Saraswathi Narayanaswamy attended the International Seminar on “Teaching Speech to Hearing Impaired Children less than 5 years” held at Sydney Australia, on an invitation from Cochlear Ltd.

Nov 2002

Meera Suresh, the Honorary Academic Co ordinator of the school gets her Ph.D degree from the University of Madras. Her Thesis 'Impact of Infant Intervention on the development in hearing impaired children' is the first study in the country on Early Intervention of Hearing Impaired Children.

Dec 2002

Mrs. Saraswathi Narayanaswamy receives Best Individual National Award for the Welfare of persons with disabilities and receives the award from the President of India during the World Day of the Disabled.

Aug 2003

Apex Foundation US launches the website www.balavidyalayaschool.org

Aug 2004

Balavidyalaya topped the Education Foundation Early Intervention Centre starts in Kottayam, Kerala headed by DTYHI candidates from our institute. This center later on closes down.

Silver Beach Singaram Pillai Vidyalaya – Early Intervention Centre gets started in a Regular School Singharam Pillai Matriculation School Villivakkam, Chennai headed by 2 DTYHI candidates trained in our institute. This center later on becomes the EIC in Chennai funded by the Government of Tamilnadu.

Aug 2005

Received International Affiliation from The Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Washington DC, US. The affiliation is given to institutions involved in developing listening skills and verbal language in children with hearing impairment.

The State Resource Training Center in K.K.Nagar was inaugurated. Two staff members were deputed to go every Friday to assist 3 to 6 year old children.

Dec 2006

Balavidyalaya Institute for Teacher Training & Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams sign an MOU, and Sri Venkateswara Institute for Early Intervention SHRAVANAM is inaugurated at Tirupati with two senior Early Intervention Teachers, deputed by Balavidyalaya.

Aug 2007

Government of Tamilnadu accords recognition to the Diploma in Teaching Young Hearing Impaired (DTYHI).

Balavidyalaya changes its policy and children using BTE hearing aids are enrolled.

Aug 2007

Balavidyalaya changes its policy and children using BTE hearing aids are enrolled.

May 2008

Balavidyalaya Trust is formed and takes over managing the Organisation.

Aug 2008

The Commissioners Office for the Disabled conducts a meeting with District Rehabilitation Officers and Representatives of NGO’s from all the Districts of Tamilnadu. Interviews are held and candidates are chosen for DTYHI and Special Educators for the Early Intervention Centers in Tamilnadu.

Dec 2009

Mrs. Subbulakshmi. the Assistant Head Mistress of the school receives her Ph.D from the University of Madras. She completes her Thesis on Teaching Methods for Young Hearing Impaired Children from the International Institute of Tamil Studies.

Feb 2010

The 40th Crystal Jubilee Celebrations of the school was held on the 11th at the Vivekananda Auditorium in the Guindy Complex of Anna University. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the Former President of India graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Dr. Mannar Jawahar, Vice Chancellor, Anna University participated as the Guest of Honour. Lt. Gen. R.K.Swamy, VSM, AVSM, Chief of Staff, HQ, Southern Command Pune, Indian Army was the Special Guest.

A National Conference on Challenges & Achievements in Early Intervention of Deaf & Hard of Hearing was conducted on the 10th at Rani Seethai Hall as part of the Crystal Jubilee Celebrations. The Conference was Inaugurated by Hon’ble Minister for Social Welfare, Government of Tamilnadu, Smt. Geetha Jeevan. Dr. Rama Mohana Raju IAS., Principal Secretary, Department of Social Welfare, Government of Tamilnadu delivered the Keynote Address. As a policy change children using cochlear implants are also enrolled.

Mar 2010

Mrs. Valli Annamalai The Hony Principal of the school receives her Ph.D. on Development of a Parent Empowerment Programme as an Intervention strategy for Young children with Hearing Impairment’ from the University of Madras.

Jul 2013

Dr. Valli Annamalai and Dr. Meera Suresh visit US. They attend the “Listening and Spoken Language Symposium” conducted by the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf in Los Angeles. Dr. Valli Annamalai presents a paper on “The DHVANI Literacy Programme for young deaf children.” Dr. Meera Suresh presents on “Early Intervention Services to the Deaf Children in rural Tamilnadu, India”.

Dr. Valli Annamalai and Dr. Meera Suresh visit Advanced Bionics and interact with the Surgeons and Professionals. They go around the campus see the different stages of how Cochlear Implants are made.

Dr. Valli Annamalai and Dr. Meera Suresh visit John Tracy Clinic in Los Angeles. They spend an evening going around the clinic getting an insight of the entire program. They also interact with the people working in John Tracy.

Dr. Meera Suresh visits Jean Weingarten Peninsula Oral School for the Deaf in San Antonio. She watches the school at work and talks to the Management exchanging information on what is happening in Balavidyalaya.

Dr. Meera Suresh visits Apex Incorporation a well wisher and friend of Balavidyalaya in Washington DC. She presents a paper on Balavidyalaya and its activities to the staff, and friends of Apex. The Head of the ENT Department, the Pediatric ENT, and the Audiologist from John Hopkins Hospital also attend the presentation.

The floor of the play pen on the second floor is re-done.

Sep 2015

The first Early Intervention Center starts functioning in Columbo in Sri Lanka. Candidates trained in Balavidyalaya Institute for Teacher Training sponsored by Amaliya Foundation head the Amaliya Early Learning center.

Dec 2015

Balavidyalaya receives the coveted National Award for CREATING OUTSTANDING BARRIER FREE ENVIRONMENT FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES on the International Day of the Disabled. Mrs Saraswathi Narayanaswamy, Dr Valli Annamalai and Dr. Meera Suresh attend the Award function in Vigyan Bhavan New Delhi. Dr Valli Annamalai receives the award from the Honorable Minister Arun Jaitley.

School gets badly affected by floods. The floor and bathrooms get damaged. So bathrooms are broken down and completely redone. Coromandel International Ltd sponsors the renovation of the bathrooms under their CSR activity. Asha for Education sponsors fumigation of the entire school. State Government of Tamilnadu sponsors clothing, and bed sheets for the children.

A Well Wisher hosts a dinner to Balavidyalaya, its friends and well wishers for having received the coveted National Award for Creating Outstanding Barrier Free Environment for Persons with Disabilities on the International Day of the Disabled.

May 2016

Gupta Family Foundation sponsors lifting the floor level of the building and making it fully accessible by building a ramp in front of the school .

Oct 2018

Gupta Family Foundation holds the 1st Cross Learning Symposium. Dr Meera Suresh presents a paper on 'Balavidyalaya & DHVANI Methodology'.

Dec 2018

It is decided to have twelve celebrations / open houses and finally culminate in the Golden Jubilee Celebration of the school.

The 49th Birthday of the school is celebrated as the first ‘Open House’ for friends, well wishers, alumni students, current students and their respective family members from 10 am to 12.30 pm. The children’s work, tips on identification and milestone banners are displayed. The three minute teaser on Balavidyalaya is released. The staff cut a cake as part of the celebrations.

Dec 2019

The Golden Jubilee Celebrations is held in Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Roa Concert Hall.

The Golden Jubilee International Conference is held for two days. The conference is made totally inclusive with the help of Microsoft Translator converting live speech to text.

Dr. Suni Mathew the Director of Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of Speech and Hearing Disabilities inaugurates. Dr Christina Yoshinaga Itano Research Professor of the Institute of Cognitive Sciences attends as the lead resource person of the conference addresses. Dr N.Rathna former Director of All India Institute of Speech and Hearing Mysore and AYJNISHD is the Special Guest.

The other resource persons include Mr. Emilio Alonso Mendoza the Chief Executive Officer of the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the deaf and hard of hearing – Washington DC, USA, Ms Gayla Guignard the Chief Strategy Officer of AG Bell – Washington DC, Prof R Rangasayee Chair Audiology Committtee International Association of Logopedics and phoniatrics under WHO and the former Director of AYJNISHD, Dr M.N.Nagaraja the CEO of Dr S.R.Chandrasekhar Institute of Speech and Hearing Bangalore and the former director of AYJNISHD, and Prof Roopa Nagarajan Academic Officer and Chairperson of Department of Speech, language and hearing sciences in Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education & Research Chennai.

The Conference had 9 sessions and over 450 participants.

The evening of the second day of the conference a reunion of alumni of Balavidyalaya was held along with a dinner for all the current and alumni children along with their parents.

The Golden Jubilee celebrations was held on the 21st of December 2019. Three films were released. One on vision and mission of the school – Listen from Infancy and talk for a life time, second on the pioneering journey of Balavidyalaya for the last five decades and the third on Path Breakers of Balavidyalaya. Dr Soumya Swaminathan Dy Gen Sec Programs WHO presided as the Chief Guest. a coffee table book was released.

Mar 2019

The school and the Institute closes due to the Covid Pandemic.

Jun 2019

Mrs. Saraswathi Narayanaswamy the co-founder and Honorary Director of the school passes away after a brief illness.

School and Institute start virtual classes.

Jul 2021

Guru Krupa Foundation becomes our donor.

Feb 2022

The school starts functioning in person.

Jul 2024

Meenakshi Venkataraman Foundation starts the Early Intervention Center in Hyderabad.

Oct 2024

Dr. Meera Suresh presents two papers i) Understanding the DHVANI Methodology and ii) Our journey to Rwanda in the second cross learning symposium in Virgina US held by Gupta Family Foundation.