TIRUNELVELI: In a heartwarming gesture, Tirunelveli District Assistant Collector (training) S Gokul (26) took 200 students with disabilities for a free special screening of Mani Ratnam’s ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ on Saturday. The IAS officer , who is visually impaired, had bee working for the past one week to bring the students to the theatre on the (PwD).
Based on his request, the theatre authorities, with the help of technicians, attached audio description to the movie to help students with visual impairment. Subtitles were also played. “The theme of the day is ‘equal access and equal opportunity’. When talking about PwD students, we stress their education. Whereas, equal access should mean equal access to everything, including entertainment and sports activities. We are showing that with this big move,” said Gokul.
This is the first theatre visit for most of the 200 students. The teachers gave an introduction about the theatre and movie in sign language before the show began. “It was for the first time in TN that a special show with advanced audio system was played with the help of technicians. PwD students should move towards their goals with self-confidence,” added Gokul, who cleared the civil service exam last year, and is a native of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala. He holds a Master’s degree in English.