Turning vision into a reality

March 30, 2015 12:00 am | Updated 06:02 am IST - VIJAYAWADA:

We seldom spare a thought for the simplest of things that could be within our reach but remain out of our mind.

For instance, how many of us knew that the annual cost of educating a visually challenged student at an Indian University (including lodging and boarding at the University hostel) is same as the cheapest iPad 3.

Help the Blind Foundation, a Hong Kong-based service organisation floated by NRIs, recognises the need to prepare the visually challenged community for jobs in modern economy. Since higher education is the key to success, the organisation has developed a scholarship programme to help visually challenged students keen on pursuing university education in India.

“Until last year, the Foundation was providing financial aid to visually impaired students across Tamil Nadu. This year, it has included Andhra Pradesh also in its scholarship programme. Under this, a visually challenged student gets a maximum of Rs. 25,000 a year to pursue a university course. This year, the Foundation has given Rs. 1 lakh for eight students, five of them day-scholars, in our college,” says G. Sahaya Baskaran from Department of Physics in Andhra Loyola College (ALC) and coordinator for HEPSN (Higher Education for Persons with Special Needs).

The University Grant Commission (UGC) implements HEPSN, basically meant to create conducive environment in higher educational institutions and to enrich higher education learning experiences for the differently-abled persons. Creating awareness about the capabilities of differently-abled persons, constructions aimed at improving accessibility and purchase of equipment to enrich the learning process are the broad categories of assistance under the scheme. 

“In ALC, we currently have eight visually impaired and 16 other orthopaedically challenged students. Under the UGC’s administrative and infrastructure support, we have been provided with four laptops with Braille facility. The funds were also put to use for construction of 20 ramps across the campus,” says Mr. Baskaran.

The UGC, through HEPSN, also reaches out to visually impaired lecturers in colleges. Vijayawada city has two blind lectures working in KBN College and SRR & CVR Government Degree College.

“Not many visually impaired persons are aware of the facilities. Any visually challenged student aspiring to pursue further education after 10{+t}{+h}class can approach us for guidance,” says Mr. Baskaran. Mr. Baskaran can be reached on 9490658088.

Under the scholarship programme, a visually challenged student gets a maximum of Rs. 25,000 a year to pursue a university course. This year, the Help the Blind Foundation has given Rs. 1 lakh for eight students, five of them day-scholars, in our college

G. Sahaya Baskaran

Department of Physics, Andhra Loyola College (ALC)

Help the Blind Foundation develops scholarship programme to help visually-challenged students who are keen on pursuing university education

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