7. SPECIFIC SERVICES PROVIDED 7.1 Education Children with disabilities did not have access to education within the education system in the Maldives until 1985. Jamaluddin School in Male’ was the first school to provide education to children with disabilities and this school started enrolling hearing impaired children in 1985. Care Society, a local NGO working with children with disabilities, started providing education and rehabilitation for multi handicapped children in 2001. The Government started setting up classes for children with disabilities in 2006, with a vision to set up minimum one school in each atoll that enrols children with special needs by 2010 (MoE 2008). One out of ten children with disabilities is enrolled in schools. Estimates are that there are about 2,250 children with disabilities in the Maldives (EDC 2009). However, only 230 children with disabilities were enrolled in schools in 2009. Of the children enrolled in schools, 127 were attending schools in Male’ while 103 were enrolled in schools in Atolls.