CHENNAI: Madhavi, a visually-impaired college student from Pudukottai, submitted her internal test papers much later than her classmates, on Wednesday, as she could not find a scribe. While she has no parents, she waits for her uncle to return home from work and write the test while she dictates. The paper then had to be scanned and mailed to her teacher, hours after deadline.
While the lockdown made learning hard for all, the impact has been worse for visually impaired. “Both classes and tests are conducted online. We are asked to upload the answer sheet within an hour of the completion of test. But it is very hard to find a scribe in my village. Usually the college arranges scribes,” she said.
Vinod, a visually-impaired history undergraduate from Palayamkottai, too has also been struggling to find a scribe, and said that he dreaded arranging for one for his semester exams. “Internal assessments are only about five pages long. For semester exams, it runs over 30 pages. My family helps me learn, write tests and teach every day lessons. How can I expect them to take time off from work and act as my scribe?” he rued.
For those who hail from a poor background, it is harder as they need to convince their families to buy them good phones, added Vinod. “Many parents see no point in educating visually-impaired children. Even if that hurdle is crossed, the next struggle is to learn how to use a phone using screen reader tools,” he said, adding that even if they mastered it, finding a scribe is a major challenge.
Kavya, another history undergraduate said, attending online classes has been a lonely experience. “We are not used to this kind of technology. I find it convenient to study using braille or attending lectures with other students. Now it just feels like I am talking to myself.”C Govindakrishnan, founder of Nethrodaya, a self-help group for visually impaired, said, problems are slightly different for younger children. “Blindness is not the problem, poverty is,” he asserted.
“We teach maths using abacus; braille is used for texts; embossed images are used to teach maps and images. These resources are however, unavailable at home and students cannot access them in public places because of the pandemic,” he added.
Many such students are enrolled in mainstream educational institutions, he said, adding while these institutions seem inclusive on paper, they are far from it in reality. “They should have special educators, specialised training, audio study material and special learning devices and labs. Without these, we cannot meet the academic needs of a visually impaired child.
There is a dire need for more special schools in the State.” Meanwhile, K Raghuraman, a visually-impaired teacher from Karna Vidya Foundation, said, despite downside, lockdown has widened the horizon for these students. “We have learnt and taught many students to use video-conferencing apps and other technological aids. This is very new for many,” he said.
He added, it is however, difficult to convert lessons in audio format. “The Tamil Nadu Textbook And Educational Services Corporation should convert all school books into an accessible format. The failure of access to learning should not undermine the individual’s capacity,” he said.