IGNOU organises assessment camp to provide aids to students with disabilities

NEW DELHI: The National Centre for Disability Studies at the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) organised an assessment camp for providing aid to students with disabilities of IGNOU in collaboration with the central government's Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO) under the Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase-Fitting of Aids and Appliances (ADIP) scheme. The event took place on July 7, 2022, at the IGNOU convention centre from 10 am to 5 pm. Around 100 students with disabilities have registered themselves for the camp.

The welcome address at the event was given by SK Prasad, director of the National Centre for Disability Studies. He talked about the initiatives of the IGNOU University for persons with disability, especially students. He mentioned the support from the university authorities in the development of the facilities at the IGNOU headquarters as well as at the IGNOU regional centres and providing special attention to students with disabilities. According to Prasad, IGNOU has about 15,000 students with disabilities. He thanked ALIMCO for providing assistive devices to the students free of cost under the scheme and said that IGNOU is willing to extend the initiative to all regional centres so that benefits can reach all students across India. Bharat Bhushan, director of the equal opportunity cell pointed out the work done by IGNOU after the setting up of EOC to ensure equal opportunities to all irrespective of gender, disability etc.

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Satyakam, PVC, IGNOU said that the Rights of PWD Act, 2016 (RPwD Act, 2016) mandates education accessibility to persons with disabilities as well. According to him, IGNOU is putting effort into this cause, but the university needs to do more. He praised ALIMCO for their contribution and said that they have easily provided aid such as sensor-based assistive devices (canes) for the visually impaired, hearing devices, and assistive devices for people with locomotor disabilities etc. He further lauded NCDS for their efforts in making higher education accessible to persons with disabilities and urged them to extend this partnership to all regions across India.

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