City-based Vision Aid Charitable Services Society and Andhra University got together to train special educators to handle vision impaired students. Andhra University is among the select educational centres offering B.Ed., (Special Education) to train teachers capable of handling differently abled students.
Starting 2010 a new initiative is taken whereby special Access Technology training is given to the B.Ed., (Special Education) graduates so that they can teach visually challenged and low vision students in computer applications. This initiative has been made possible by Vision Aid that specializes in rehabilitation of the vision impaired with the support of Sight Savers International.
In the very first batch, and for the first time in India, B.Ed., special education teachers, identified by A.U. Head of the Department of Education N. Venkata Rao have been trained by the experts at Vision Aid centre at the Official Colony. Fifteen special B.Ed. graduates and three students of Vision Aid were imparted special Access Technology training for 12 days. Andhra University Vice-Chancellor Beela Satyanarayana handed over the completion certificates to them at a function on Thursday at the centre.
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Addressing the gathering, Prof. Satyanarayana lauded the effort of Vision Aid and said that the Andhra University trainees were happy with the skills acquired. He hoped the efforts would continue to grow and serve society and would receive the support of the government and public.
Vision Aid is the only institute in this part of the country with full-fledged facilities to train the vision impaired candidates as well as their teachers, says a press release. The current initiative of training the teachers is expected to grow spreading Access Technology training. India with an estimated 2 crore population of vision impaired will need thousands of teachers to be trained in access technologies in the coming decade.
Vision Aid is networking with various universities to make them join this effort.
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