Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 3: Disability Initiatives, University of Jammu, organized a webinar on the topic ‘Inclusion of Students with Visual Impairment in Higher Education’.
The webinar was carried out with the objective of creating awareness about the challenges encountered and resources available to persons with visual impairment at higher education. Dr Tata Rama Krishna, Faculty, STRIDE IGNOU was the resource person on the occasion.
In his interactive session, he mentioned that there are issues related to physical accessibility and material accessibility that are often disadvantageous for the visually impaired. He talked about the reservation policy for Persons with Disability available both in higher education institutions as well in employment. He also shared information about the transport related concessions, dealership benefits, scholarships/ fellowships available to PwDs, and escort and scribe facilities.
He further exhorted upon the need for having University grievance cell to ensure timely action in matters pertaining to its differently abled students and research scholars.
Earlier, speaking on the occasion, Dr Sarika Manhas, Coordinator Disability Initiatives, JU, mentioned that the University was making earnest endeavor to create an inclusive system for students with disabilities. She highlighted that over the period of last one-year multiple workshops, interactive sessions, webinars/ seminars have been held on issues related to persons with disabilities as part of disability welfare measures.
She also emphasized the need for collaborative and concerted effort by all stakeholders to ensure that a supportive environment is available in higher education institutions for students with disabilities.
Umesh Sharma, Chairman, Disabled Care Foundation & Disability activist, highlighted the practical problems faced in ensuring rights of disabled. He called for synergistic linkages between higher education students and NGOs for better understanding of challenges encountered by disabled students at higher education level.
Prominent among those, who attended the webinar, included Sandhya Dhar (Nari Shakti Awardee and President, JIGER), Dr Muzamil Jan (Kashmir University), Dr Bharti Tandon (MIER College of Education), Dr Ankit Mahajan (JU), Dr Deepti (Department of Higher Education, J&K), Dr Nitu Sharma (Department of Higher Education, J&K UT), Upasana (SSM College, Dinanagar, Punjab). Students and research scholars with disabilities enrolled for various departments of JU were also present on the occasion. Vinish Malik and Kanika Gupta, Research scholars from the Department of Home Science, JU, conducted proceedings of the webinar.
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