Braille textbooks for Intermediate, Degree students soon: Minister Adluri

The Telangana government is set to introduce Braille textbooks for Intermediate and Degree courses, announced Minister for SC, ST and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Welfare, Adluri Laxman Kumar, on Sunday.

Speaking at the 217th birth anniversary celebrations of Louis Braille at the Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities office on Sunday, the Minister hailed Braille as a visionary who transformed the lives of visually impaired individuals and society at large.

“Currently, Braille textbooks are available only up to Class X, forcing many visually impaired students to discontinue their education. In view of this, we are taking steps to address this gap,” the Minister said, assuring that all issues within his department’s purview would be resolved promptly, while others would be taken to the notice of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for action.

He also said that a proposal to provide free bus travel across the State for persons with disabilities would soon be placed before the Chief Minister.

Marking the occasion, the Minister unveiled the State’s first-ever Braille New Year calendar, designed for use by both visually impaired individuals and the general public. Mr. Laxman Kumar also said that assistive devices would soon be distributed free of cost to 8,000 beneficiaries.

Telangana Vikalangula Co-Operative Corporation (TVCC) chairman Muthineni Veeraiah noted that the Braille calendar is a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country. He added that a 5% reservation under the Indiramma Housing Scheme has enabled thousands of persons with disabilities to build homes. He also pointed out that while the previous government allocated ₹64 crore over a decade, the present government has sanctioned ₹100 crore within two years.

Department Secretary Anita Ramachandran and Director Shailaja announced new developmental initiatives, including additional ₹1 lakh assistance for marriages involving persons with disabilities, over and above the Kalyana Lakshmi scheme.