The students of University of Hyderabad walked blindfolded to extend support to the visually-impaired, seeking better support facilities for them at the ‘Walk for Accessibility and Inclusion’ organised on the campus on Sunday.
The walk was flagged off by Chevella MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy in the presence of university Vice-Chancellor Appa Rao Podile. Mr. Reddy said despite being challenged, their communication skills were much better in comparison to normal persons. He told the students that the gear box of the Hero Honda motorcycles, the largest manufacturer of two-wheelers in the world, was assembled by visually-impaired persons in India. Mr. Reddy said his aunt, who was also visually-challenged, built the first hostel for visually-impaired girls in Hyderabad and it was one of the first in Asia. He appreciated the university on receiving an award in 2016 for being the best institution in the country which was more accessible to persons with disabilities.
Rangareddy Thoutireddy, a visually-impaired student of MA-Economics who organised the event, said the idea was to sensitise the student community, highlight the need for physical, informational and service accessibility and adoption of inclusive attitude, policies and practices. Later, a website was launched to help volunteers register for being scribes to help visually and differently-abled students in examinations. A digital database English-Telugu directory was also launched.
