Make educational instts disability-friendly
Urge university level special needs students
Participants at a discussion, “Higher Education of Students with Disabilities: Problems and Prospects”, organised by Bangla daily the Prothom Alo at its office in the capital in collaboration with the Centre for Disability in Development, Light for the World of the Netherlands, and Utsaho Trust.Photo: STAR
University level students with physical disabilities, who have undergone many hurdles to come this far in life, yesterday urged the government to make the educational institutions disability-friendly to minimise their sufferings. The government should ensure availability of disability-friendly educational tools at institutions of every level before it reserves quota for the students with disabilities, they told a roundtable at the Prothom Alo office. The Bangla daily in collaboration with the Centre for Disability in Development (CDD), Light for the World of the Netherlands, and Utsaho Trust jointly organised the programme titled "Higher Education of Students with Disabilities: Problems and Prospects". About 15 special needs students from different universities and colleges in and around the capital shared their stories at the roundtable, reflecting the problems and miseries they face every day at their educational institutions. A visually impaired student at Dhaka University Jayanta Kumar Saha said, "The examination system is not disability-friendly. Before every exam, I have to find a writing aide. Often the writer refuses to come just before the exam." He also said a few dormitories had ramps for smooth movement for the physically challenged students. Adding to Jayanta's remark, Rawnak Jahan Usha, a student of Eden Girls' College, who has got her legs paralysed, said she had passed the admission test but had to have her first admission cancelled as the college buildings had no wheelchair access. "There are no wheelchair ramps and nobody cared to carry me to the second or third floor where most of the classes are held," she said. DU Vice Chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique said the university authorities wanted to address the problems of the special needs students but could not do much because of inadequate budget allocation. Prof AK Azad Chowdhury, chairman of University Grant Commission (UGC), said he would pursue the government to raise allocation for special needs students at universities. Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman, Friends of Liberation War Honour award winner Julian Francis, Jahangirnagar University VC Dr Anwar Hossain, Joint Secretary to Ministry of Social Welfare Md Hossain Mollah, Joint Secretary to Ministry of Education AS Mahmood, Additional Secretary to Ministry of Education SM Golam Faruk, and CDD Executive Director AHM Noman Khan attended the programme among others.
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