Visually impaired student gets relief on SC intervention

The student was initially declined free Braille books for being a private student.


Express January 06, 2011

ISLAMABAD: A visually impaired student of ninth grade was provided free books after intervention from the Supreme Court.

Muhammad Umer, a private student from Attock, had written an application to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry saying that the government was not providing him Braille books to continue his studies.

The CJP took a suo motu notice on Umer’s complaint and directed provincial chief secretaries to submit a report about their policy of providing such facilities to visually impaired students. In response, the Chief Secretary of Punjab submitted his report explaining that Umer was originally not provided Braille books because he was appearing as a private candidate. However the complainant had now been provided all course books free-of-charge, the report said.

The Government of Punjab is responsible for providing free-of-charge Braille books to all visually impaired children enrolled in Government Special Education Institutions of the Punjab as well as to the students of educational institutions managed by NGOs registered with the Directorate of Special Education, Punjab.

“Punjab government supplied a total 5,877 Braille books to different government, non-government institutions and Individuals [in 2009],” the chief secretary’s report stated.

The Special Education Department also contacted Umer and informed him that in case he has any other requirements, he may contact the provincial secretary for special education in Lahore, the report said.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s (K-P) report said that all students studying in the seven government institutions for the blind managed by district governments are provided Braille books free-of-charge. The report added provision of free-of-charge Braille books to private students was the responsibility of the Social Welfare Department. However no private student had ever approached the department for Braille books, he added.

Balochistan chief secretary, in his report, stated that there was a school for the visually handicapped in Quetta, operating as a part of a four-school complex for special education. This complex imparts education to students up to middle standard and is supervised and run by the Provincial Social Welfare Department. The school also provides free-of-charge Braille books to the students.

Sindh chief secretary is yet to submit his response.

“In consideration of the long-standing demand by parents of disabled persons, as well as by representatives of disabled persons’ organisations for the up gradation of schools from the middle standard to high standard, the Chief Minister [of] Balochistan has very recently accorded approval for up-gradation of schools for the [visually handicapped and
the hearing impaired],” the report said.

The report added that a project proposal worth Rs80 million seeking the establishment of complexes for special education at selected divisional headquarters of the province was submitted to the Provincial Planning and Development (P&D) Department for inclusion in the annual development programme for fiscal year 2010-11.

The priorities committee of the P&D Department at its meeting held on April 3, 2010, agreed in principle to the inclusion of the proposal project in 2010-11’s budget. The provincial government is however yet to communicate a final decision in the matter. The court would be updated on the issue in due course of time, the report said.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 6th, 2011.

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