Jawahar Lal Nehru University
It is expected that the colleges and universities must be proactive in providing required facilities to the people with disabilities. Disabilities should never be a hurdle in getting higher education. The students must have easy access to the classrooms as well as tertiary activities available within the campuses.
Jawahar Lal Nehru University in New Delhi, one such premier educational institution in India. It tries to provide such facilities to the differently abled students. It is works according to the recommendations of UGC. A scheme by the name of HEPSN i.e Higher Education for Persons with Special Needs is followed by it. 9th five year plan sanctioned this scheme. The scheme aims to create awareness among providers of higher education about specific educational needs of the PWDs.
JNU has a Disability Unit of it own. It is first of its kind in India. Counseling services, at University’s Health Center, are provided to the students with special needs. They are counseled about psychological as well as adjustment issues. A proper record of the students coming for counseling is kept. These services are provided for six days a week. Proper information via notices is given regarding the counseling sessions.
There is almost a barrier free environment. Ramps and rails are constructed. Many other structural changes have been done at various places with the premises. Existing buildings are being renovated. Wider doors of toilets are being provided keeping in view the needs of those have motor disabilities. Some architectural modifications have been made in hostels too. Facilities like special gymnasium, recreational equipment, and special toilets would soon be provided in hostels.
There is a proposal that the new buildings would have a Loop Induction System. In it a kind of wire coil is installed in the surrounding areas, under the carpets or around the ceilings of the walls of the rooms to help to locate the students who are not able to hear. The loops are then connected to amplifiers attached to a microphone, radio or whatever sound source is there. This will help the students having hearing impairments.
Stress is laid on the arranging for appropriate hardware or software to the disabled students having low vision, hearing impairment, locomotor problems. Students are just expected to get easily adapted to the academic as well as the social environment of the university.
JNU library also has a special unit called Hellen Keller Unit. It caters to the needs of visually challenged students. Twenty computers and scanners have been installed with screen reading and speech software to facilitate visually challenged scholars in their studies in this special Unit. Signage in Braille is present at various schools and the library.
The Disability Unit keeps in touch with NGOs and the government institutions. Workshops and Seminars are also organized from time to time. University would now be short listing of agencies that would help in providing financial assistance to the students with special needs.
