Visually impaired students suffer as studies go online mode amid pandemic
Faizan Beigh
Srinagar, May 12: Despite all odds, the 19 year old visually impaired boy Shabir Ahmad continues to struggle to filifll his dream of educating himself.
Learning online has not been easy for 19 year old visually challenged Shabir Ahmed Bhat despite attending classes regularly he was unable to study properly.
Bhat is a 9th class student enrolled in Government Boys Higher Secondary School Dewar. He is visually impaired by birth.
During pandemic, as the educational institutions adopted online mode for studies, it has been a challenge for Bhat.
“I am the only student in my class who is visually impaired. For me studying online is not as easy as it sounds. This pandemic has deeply affected my studies,” he said.
He added that studying via virtual mode is difficult for him in too for him.
“In school, I used to sit with my teachers and they were kind enough to clear the concepts of topics in their respective subjects. They always gave me extra time if I ever had any confusion related to topics,” he said.
“Studying online substantially affected the emotional and mental well being of visually impaired students,” he added.
It’s not only shabir who faces such hardships with vitural mode of learning. There are many visually impaired students whose studies has been affected during the pandemic.
In Jammu & Kashmir as per the survey of J&K Handicap Association, nearly 72,000 people are visually impaired out of which there are approximately 1000 undergoing various educational courses.
“Me and my brother Shabir Ahmed Bhat both are visually impaired by birth. This pandemic has affected our studies adversely. I don’t even remember when I studied last time in a proper manner. We are just managing things,” she said.
An official of Director of Social Welfare Department said that there is a specific method of teaching these students which is known as Braille method.
“I don’t think studying online can help these students in learning,” he said.
(Faizan Beigh is an internee at ANN News)
