Computers are essential tools in all academic studies. They can enhance the independence, productivity, and capabilities of people with disabilities. Assistive hardware and software can facilitate computer access for people with disabilities. Assistive technology solutions may involve simple, readily available adjustments such as using built-in access devices on standard computers, or they may require unique combinations of software and hardware such as those needed for voice or Braille output. Millions of students across the World cannot benefit fully from a traditional educational program because they have a disability that impairs their ability to participate in a typical classroom environment. For these students, computer-based technologies can play an especially important role.
In the field of education, the basic concept of “Non – discrimination” entails the ability of all people to have “equal opportunity in education, regardless of their social class, ethnicity, background or physical disabilities”. Millions of students across the World cannot benefit fully from a traditional educational program because they have a visual disability that impairs their ability to participate in a typical classroom environment.
- They can’t see what is written on the board.
- They have very limited study material available in the form of Braille and recordings.
- Teacher can’t check that whether he/she has noted down correct points or not because he/she use Braille to note down the points.
- Most of the teachers don’t allow them to record their lectures.
Even today Most of the visually impaired students depend on sighted students, sighted friends or on their sighted family members for their studies.
- They depend on them for reading printed books.
- They depend on them for explaining the things which is in the form of diagrams.
- They depend on them for making handwritten assignments.
- They depend on them to help them as a writer in their examinations.
Information technology, the main assistive technology resource applied to educating visually impaired students, can be defined as computers with programs that allow students to access the digital environment, promoting individual life and social/education inclusion.
Access to information is major problem for the disabled in India. The visually impaired in India till today depend on two primary sources for their information:
- Braille Books
- Talking book service.
But today ICT has helped to reduce the digital divide between sighted and the Visually Impaired by providing information on their desktop. ICT and its tools are highly flexible and provide great scope for usage by persons with vision impairment. Information available to the seeing world is now available to the persons with vision impairment. It is very evident that those who are computer literate are able to gain education, and empowerment as compared non-literate in technology. With the use of these technologies, they can become independent. CBSE and many other boards and many universities allow visually impaired students to appear in Examination using computer. They can attempt their examination paper independently by typing on computer. They need not to depend on writer for attempting their examination papers. Computers are essential tools in all academic studies. They can enhance the independence, productivity, and capabilities of people with disabilities.
Initiatives by Educational Institutions for Visually Impaired Persons:
Many Institutions has been working for the welfare of visually impaired persons:
- National Institute for the Visually Handicapped (NIVH), Dehradun
- The Blind Relief Association, Delhi
- All India Confederation for the Blind (AICB)
- National Association for the Blind (NAB)
- National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and many more….
The University Grants Commission (UGC) is also supporting selected university departments and colleges of education in the country to offer special education, with financial assistance available under the programme of ‘Integrated Education for Disabled Children’ by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. The UGC had started the scheme of assistance to universities/colleges to facilitate Teacher Preparation in Special Education (TEPSE) and Higher Education for Persons with Special Needs Differently abled Persons (HEPSN).
IGNOU, New Delhi has established the National Centre for Disability Studies in November 2006 with the mission ‘to provide quality education at the doorsteps of the learners including persons with disabilities’. The specific mission of the centre is to strengthen the potentials of persons with disabilities and build their capacity which may help their mainstreaming in the society.
Many institutes and universities like University of Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, St. Xavier College-Mumbai and many others have established an ‘Information Centre for the Visually Challenged Students’.
Conclusion
The teaching, learning, research, and other academic advancement of the visually impaired students in India today has become very necessary and should be regarded as an integral part of the national development process. It is therefore important that learning materials like books, journals, databases and other relevant Information sources should be made readily available for the use of them. Establishment of ‘Learning Resource Centre for the Visually Impaired Student’s and “Computer Training Centre for Visually Impaired Peoples” will benefit the visually impaired students in the universities and institutes across the country to have the same opportunities for education, research, training as well as employment as their sighted peers. Computers are essential tools in all academic studies. They can enhance the independence, productivity, and capabilities of people with disabilities.