Himachal Pradesh University to be 'disabled friendly'

Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) will soon become the first 'disabled friendly' varsity in the northern region, officials said today.

Member of Executive Council and Nodal Officer (Disability Affairs), Ajay Srivastava, said the university was spending Rs 40 lakh on various facilities for the disabled students.

"This will include a separate section of library for the disabled with 13 computers, equipped with talking software and fully accessible web portal. The university community is also sensitized on the issues pertaining to disability," he said in a statement here.

Presently, more than fifty disabled students are studying in the campus, including 12 visually impaired students.

Srivastava said the library work has commenced and the disabled students will have exclusive access to the computers which will be equipped with "talking" software and scanner.

"A grant of Rs 11 Lakh has been provided under the Rashtriya Uchchattar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) for the purchase of computers, software, E- books, wheelchairs and equipments for the disabled students and sensitisation programmes," said Srivastava.

The new web portal, fully accessible for the blind, deaf and those disabled persons who have difficulty in using mouse is ready to be launched at the cost of nearly Rs 21 Lakh.

A van has been provided to help the disabled students in mobility while lockers in the teaching departments are being made available for them to store their belongings in.

"The toilets in all the departments will be made disabled-friendly by using 'universal design'. New ramps are also being made to so that wheelchair users and other disabled could move smoothly on the campus," the nodal officer said.

"The university has directed the State Bank of India to convert its existing ATMs to talking ATMs for facilitating the blind students," he said.