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Bertha G. Dkhar is a pioneering educationist in the field of special education. She was a visually-impaired child with retinitis pigmentosa and lost her eyesight completely while she was in college. She not only overcame her disability but went on to compose the Braille code (Grade I and II) in Khasi.
Kong Bertha was one of the first teachers at Jyoti Sroat School, the first school in Meghalaya to start an inclusive education programs for ALL children. In 2013, she relinquished the post of Headmistress of the school and joined the Mainstreaming Disability Unit: Education of Bethany Society. The work entailed promotion and facilitation of the inclusion of learners of different age groups into different levels of education in Meghalaya and the North East in general. She went on to become a facilitator for the Development of Braille Codes for Languages in the North Eastern States
Presently, Kong Bertha is the Senior Coordinator of Bethany Society Learning Sanctuary, Shillong and Bethany Society Focal Person for Safeguarding Children and Adults at Risks
She was awarded the National Award for Child Welfare (2000), the State Teacher Award, Government of Meghalaya (2009), the CNN IBN Reliance Foundation, Real Heroes Award (2012), the Patogan Sangma Social Service Award (2018) and of course, India's fourth highest civilian award, the Padma Shri in 2010
