Hyderabad: The world’s first engineering college for the visually impaired is going to be launched by Devnar Foundation. As per sources, the software & syllabus is all set for the college, but the delay in project is due to in-progress search of suitable land to establish the multi-crore campus that could empower hundreds of special children.
However, Devnar Foundation’s plan to build an engineering college for the blind, with the guidance of BITS Pilani professors, together with 20 different digital and Braille software and initial funding arrangement is all set.
As per records, Andhra Pradesh has a caseload of 10,000 visually impaired children below 10 years, of which only 2,000 manage to go to a special school. This scenario, revealing a nationwide issue, provoked Devnar Foundation to set up the college. The foundation also runs the world's biggest blind school to help the special children.
As eight students from Devnar Foundation’s School have completed their engineering qualification from mainstream engineering colleges and one doing further studies in Boston, USS, A Sai Baba Goud, Founder of Devnar's Ophthalmologist, made a decision to establish an engineering college. He has said that the visually challenged students often encounter pervasive and ongoing discrimination and lack of facilities. It is due to the same reason why only a meager figure is enrolled in schools in the state. In spite of being visually challenged, such students are brilliant with recent instances of people clearing chartered accountancy and going for higher studies in the US.
With over 700 engineering colleges, Andhra Pradesh has the maximum number of engineering colleges in the country. But, there is not even a single college which is customized to cater to the needs of the differently-abled.
As per Goud’s statement they need a small plot of about 2-3 acres. They have told the government that they have donors ready to help and also the faculty to teach. He also said that they are ready with the syllabus and required softwares, and authorities have identified land in Mahindra Hills in Secunderabad and have intimated the same to the government.
Getting affiliation from Jawaharlal Nehru Technical University and BITS, Pilani won't be difficult. But lack of land is the major stumbling block for the project, said Goud. He also added that many students are enthusiastic and eager to study after intermediate but they have problems in mainstream colleges.
The Devnar School for Blind has been providing English medium education right from primary school up to intermediate, and has been shaping lives of hundreds of visually impaired students ever since 1992. At present, there is no engineering college for the blind. The school authorities say that if they start a college in Hyderabad, not just locals but also those from other parts of the country will get a chance to fulfill their cherished dreams.
Goud stated that it is a big dream for us to provide some attention to thousands of children with astounding talent, but no one to take care of them.
