In Odisha, there are no Braille Higher Education Texts for Students with Vision Problems

Empower visually impaired students in Odisha with Braille education. Overcome challenges with Braille textbooks for inclusive higher learning.

on Jan 05, 2024

In Odisha, there are no Braille Higher Education Texts for Students with Vision Problems | Frontlist

Students with vision disabilities face challenges in graduate programmes due to a lack of Braille texts.

A scarcity of Braille publications, including textbooks and dictionaries, has hampered children with vision disabilities in their quest for an education in Odisha.

In the run-up to World Braille Day on January 4, which this year focuses on promoting Braille literacy and highlighting the right of students with vision disabilities to access information, education, and culture, students with vision disabilities in the state expressed their dissatisfaction with the lack of access to Braille books beyond Standard 12.

Surprisingly, publishing of Braille textbooks for plus two or higher secondary courses just started a few years ago, namely in 2020, at the Braille Press in Berhampur - the state's sole facility.

Prakash Narayan Rath, the press manager, stated that they do not now have the capacity to manufacture textbooks for graduation studies. As a result, students rely on classroom lectures and computer-assisted learning to manage their schoolwork.

The Odisha Association of the Blind (OAB) has expressed dissatisfaction, claiming that despite several petitions, the government has taken no steps to make Braille printed textbooks more accessible.

The Secretary of the OAB, Kapil Charan Swain, stressed the importance of Braille as the only technique for blind people to read and write independently.

Mr. Swain bemoaned the fact that the society still lacks a dedicated dictionary 75 years after independence. Students with vision problems utilise a guidebook to help them grasp English words used in everyday situations.

"Without a scribe, writing an examination paper becomes impossible." While society is rapidly progressing, we find ourselves stuck in time," remarked Banita Padhi, Chairperson of the All India Confederation of the Blind.
The OAB also expresses regret that no institution in Odisha offers full-time degrees in disability studies, as a result of which no instructors for the industry are generated.