PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (NIEPVD) has demanded 56 laptops from the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) for its visually impaired students who will be giving the upcoming board examinations, computer-based under the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), according to principal Amit Sharma.
Sharma said that NIEPVD has recently started computer typing classes in both Hindi and English for visually impaired students in classes I to XII. Currently, students in classes I to V are focused on learning typing skills, while students in classes VII to XII have begun taking home-based examinations, including half-yearly, quarterly and other assessments, on computers rather than on paper. These students are being prepared for computer-based board examinations. He confirmed that five visually impaired students in class XII will be taking the CBSE board examination this year using computers, as they already have laptops for this purpose which they can take to the designated examination centre.
Additionally, Sharma said that remaining students in classes X and XII are also prepared for the computer-based examinations, which is why the request for 56 laptops has been made to the DEPwD. He informed that there are currently 23 students in class XII and 17 in class X enrolled at NIEPVD. The laptops have been sought for students of classes IX to XII, necessary not just for this year’s examinations but also for future board exams.
He added that earlier, the students relied on peers from private schools – specifically, students from class IX and class XI – to assist them during their board examinations by writing on their behalf. Due to the insufficient number of laptops, NIEPVD has requested a total of 45 students from nearby schools, such as Kendriya Vidyalaya number one in Hathibadkala, to provide assistance to their visually impaired students during the class X and class XII board exams. If the requested laptops are provided on time, these students will then be able to assist with reading the question papers instead of writing answers during the exams.
Sharma emphasised the importance of enhancing students’ computer typing skills to improve their overall capabilities. He said that in addition to Braille, this training and the opportunity to take board examinations on computers will equip students with valuable skills applicable across various fields in the future.
