Helping the disabled: AIOU opens e-learning centre for visually impaired

‘University providing free admission, scholarships to students with disabilities’

ISLAMABAD: An e-learning accessibility centre for visually-impaired students has started functioning at the national library of the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU).      

A statement issued by the university on Sunday said the centre was the first-ever such facility in the public-sector education system.

“This is our humble effort to take care of the handicapped who wish to acquire knowledge in any field,” said AIOU Vice-Chancellor (VC) Dr Shahid Siddiqui.

The centre is equipped with computers, scanners, printers, and software through which enable the visually-impaired to access content on the internet.

We wish to set up such accessibility centers in other parts of the country too, said the VC.

The facility is open to students from outside the university as well.

Students will be able to access digital resources, e-Books, research articles, journals, theses and course material of all Higher Education Commission programmes free-of-cost.

The statement said the university would also arrange orientation sessions for students with visual disability in order to help them in the academic and professional life.

The library remains opens from 8am to 6pm daily except Sundays.

Sididqui said the AIOU is already providing fee-admission and scholarships to students with disabilities. For this, a special fund has been created and allocation is made in the annual budget of the university.

The university has also planned to hold a cricket tournament for students with physical disabilities.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 26^th, 2015.