27 special students getting education in Kinnaird College

LAHORE

Twenty-seven visually and hearing impaired students are getting education side by side with other students in Kinnaird College and enjoy all education facilities like normal students. 

In Pakistan, special institutions are in service for special students education. Usually, as per the government policy, every regular and private educational institution is bound to allow admission to special students, but some institutions implement their own policy which is otherwise. 

The fact behind their discouraging policy is that for regular colleges offering admission to the visually and hearing impaired and facilitate them with the education they require is laborious.  

Kinnaird College Principal Professor Dr Rukhsana David told this scribe in a special talk with Daily Jang that Kinnaird College is probably the only regular college of Lahore where a great number of the visually and hearing impaired are students of BS Honors and MPhil. 

In the beginning, three to four years back, the number of special students was from three to four, while now 27 visually and hearing impaired students are getting education here. We have made special arrangements for their free-of-cost education, including facility of hostel.

These students are sportspersons also, while other students behave them well. These students go to library, classrooms and hostel without any help. 

When talked to some students, they told Daily Jang that they never feel their disability while reading in the college as they take part in all sports, curricular and extra-curricular activities of the college; use mobile phone, internet and work on computer with the help of voice; listen to music as well in free time, have chat with friends also. Their librarian facilitates them by all means. 

Laboratory and library in charge for visually and hearing impaired students Munazza Atif told that these students are given helpers during examinations who write as they speak to them.

She sought government assistance in improving this service by scanning books and making them easier for these students to read and understand.