BRAILLE BHAWAN COMPLEX PROVING BENEFICIAL FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED

Ludhiana, February 15, 2019: The Braille Bhawan Complex located in Jamalpur area of the city is proving very beneficial for the visually impaired as it is one-of-its-kind in the state. This Braille Bhawan complex, run by the Department of Social Security and Development of Women and Children, Punjab, houses a sports facility, a blind school, braille press, an audio cassette recording studio for visually impaired, a teacher training centre offering D.Ed Special Education course, a vocational rehabilitation centre, a free hostel, to name a few.

Mr Manjinder Singh, Superintendent and Incharge, Government Institute for Blind, Ludhiana, informed that this is one of a kind complex in Punjab and was set up in the year 1968 and ever since it is showing positive results every year.

He informed that at the blind school, at present, 64 visually impaired students are studying in classes first to tenth and all the expenses of these students are borne by the Punjab government. He said that free hostel facility is also provided to the students of this school. Earlier, the books in Braille text were published from NIVH Dehradun, but in the year 1996, a Braille Press was also set up in the complex where the printing of Braille books in Punjabi language was started. He said that the text books from class first to tenth of Punjab School Education Board in Braille text are now printed here and in the year 2018-19, around 1000 such books were printed and distributed free of cost to the students and organisations. Mr Manjinder Singh further informed that an audio cassette recording studio for visually impaired is also located in the complex where the students pursuing higher education are provided audio cassettes and CDs as per their syllabus free of cost.

Similarly, a teacher training centre offering two-year long D.Ed. Special Education course is also being run by NIVH Dehradun in the complex. He informed that every year, more than 25 students are trained to teach the visually impaired students. He informed that the students who have completed this course are now well settled in different parts of the country.

A vocational rehabilitation centre for visually impaired and needy physically challenged girls/women of age group 18-40 is also being run here, where they are being provided one-year free training in stitching and Punjabi stenography. Mr Manjinder Singh informed that for boosting the morale of physically challenged girls, a scholarship of Rs 1500 per student is also provided along with free hostel facility.

It is pertinent to mention here that for the physical well-being of the students of Blind School, here, a sports facility has also been constructed. This is the first such sports facility for blind students in the state. Facilities of a gymnasium, activity room, football ground, and a multipurpose ground with facilities for cricket, football, discus throw, shot put, an athletics track, cricket net practice pitch, long jump etc has been developed in the school premises.

Mr Manjinder Singh urged the residents to take full use of the Braille Bhawan complex so that the visually impaired are made self dependent.