The Hindu : New Delhi News : New plans for disabled students

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Wednesday, Jul 16, 2008
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New Delhi

New plans for disabled students

Staff Reporter

— Photo: Sandeep Saxena

WORDS OF WISDOM: Speakers at the orientation programme held at Delhi University for physically challenged students.

NEW DELHI: Delhi University plans to award three gold medals to differently-abled students topping the Humanities, Commerce and Science streams in the final examinations.

This was one of the proposals being discussed by the University authorities for uplift and welfare of the physically challenged students, said Dean of Students’ Welfare S.K. Vij welcoming the 2008-09 batch of disabled students at an orientation programme organised by the Equal Opportunity Cell on the North Campus. “We are working on providing transportation facility to these students by plying low-floor buses that will pick up the students from their homes and drop them at their respective colleges. We are also thinking of developing a mechanism that will help us keep a track of these students with special needs,” he said.

Prof. Vij also mentioned that the University plans to set up a placement cell to ensure that disabled students get jobs according to their qualifications and talent.

Nearly 300 students have been admitted to different under-graduate courses in various colleges for this academic year. The policy statement of the Equal Opportunity Cell was distributed to the audience and the Braille version was circulated among the visually impaired.

The students accompanied by their parents were shown a documentary film offering an insight into the various facilities and the equipment being installed on the campus to make the University more accessible. “At the Equal Opportunity Cell, we want that all facilities that are provided to other students should be extended to the differently-abled as well. We want students to tell us what they want in which college and we have the authorities’ assurance that it will be done. We must work towards an inclusive society,” said Komal Kamra, a member of the Cell. Students were informed of audio books, reading services and computer labs available at the Braille library on the North Campus. Some physically disabled teachers shared their personal experiences with the audience.

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