Role of Technology in Education for Visually Impaired
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Indian J. Soc. & Pol. 06 (01):45-52:2019 ISSN: 2348-0084(P) ISSN: 2455-2127(O) ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED MANISH KUMAR1 1Assistant Professor,Department of Social Work JRH University, Chitrakot, U.P. INDIA ABSTRACT According to WHO action plan 2006-11 estimates 10 percent population of the world is facing some kind of disability. the meaning associated with disability is different. Global burden of disease, (GBD) looks disability as a loss of health where health is conceptualized in terms of functioning capacity in a set of the health of health domains such as mobility, cognition, hearing, and vision .The number of persons with disability in continuously increasing because of growth of population, the emergence of chronic diseases and medical advances that preserve and prolong life, creating overwhelming demands for health and rehabilitation services (Srivastava and Khan 2008). In South-east Asia, the prevalence of disability ranges from 1.5 - 21.3% of the total population, depending on the definition and severity of disability (Mont 2007). Despite the increase in the prevalence of disability worldwide, due to various reasons, not much attention has been paid to its evaluation, management, and prevention (WHO 2002). This paper focuses on a different model of disability to understand this concept. It looks at poverty as the reason for disability. Further, it discusses various policies for disability in India for education, employment, and rehabilitation of persons with disability. keeping the focus on education, in the second part paper takes visual disability and examines how the assistive technology played its role in the education of students of visual impaired at the school level. also, it observes the amic prospective of students about there inclusion in society through the lens of assistive technology and access to social networking websites. KEYWORDS: Visualy Impaired, Technology, Education INTRODUCTION challenged people are entering the domain of education and academics with technology as their aid. Society is a complex web of structures. Individuals from a part of the society and their very own existence. The individuals with visual impairment have not Their identity is dependent on the society that they been treated equally by society. The society has deliberately collectively create. Despite this collective effort, the society kept them away from the mainstream and has never provided has never been an egalitarian institution. Resources in them the opportunities to prove their potential (Raut, 2009). society are unevenly distributed due to hegemonic nature This exclusion has been done by creating special institutions and mostly it is people with different abilities who have to and special tasks for them. They have been confined to bear the brunt of it. This exclusion is often a result of certain occupations like making candles, chairs and like. hierarchies, superstitions, myths that lead to various forms of This hegemonic nature of society has kept them from discrimination. People with visual impairment form a part of availing their privileges. this marginalized community and often lose out even on In the context of vision defects, a variety of terms their basic rights because of the exclusionary constitution of namely, totally blind, stone blind, blind, partially blind, this institution. legally blind, visually limited, low vision, partially sighted, Education is helping in changing this grim scenario, visually handicapped and visually impaired are used. especially for people with visual impairments. It was the Visually impaired is an umbrella term, used widely and inception of Braille, named after its creator Louis Braille, understood in an educational context which covers all the which brought about a revolution in the education sector and aforementioned. In the case of persons with a complete lack made it accessible to visually challenged persons. Ever since of vision or who have light perception only, the term ‗blind‘ technology has been a tool for the emancipation of visually should be preferably used. For people whose visual acuity challenged people. In modern times, irrespective of the falls between 6/18 and 6/600 in the better eye after the best countless obstacles in their way, more and more visually possible correction, the term ‗low vision‘ should be used 1: Corresponding Author KUMAR : ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED (Rama Krishna T. and Armstrong, 2009). designing and developing new assistive devices and developing human resources. There is a various emphasis on Technology, a word which assists us in all walks of education of disabled by various committees such as our life. it eases and increases our efficiency and efficacy. It Everyone including a child with a disability has the right to paved a single platform for all human beings including education (Universal Declaration for Human Rights, 1948). persons with a disability without discrimination. Presently, The education of children with disabilities should be visually challenged are highly benefited with technology. inseparable part of the general education system Indian There is various software available across all platform for Education Commission, 1964-66) Every effort should be assisting them in education, employment, surfing the made to develop integrated programmes enabling the internet, booking a ticket, banking transaction and many children with disabilities to study in regular schools National more but the only thing they need is screen reader software Policy on Education, 1967) The child with disability will installed in the device. Similarly, there are various devices enjoy all the rights enjoyed by everyone else (U.N. General available for making them independent such as white Kane Assembly Declaration on the Rights of Persons with for walking, talking thermometer for counting temperature, Disabilities, 1975) Every effort should be made for wider Braille printer/embosser for printing text in Braille, talking expansion of education for children with disabilities ATM for the transaction and so on. (National Policy on Education, 1979). Special assistive LEGAL PROVISIONS ABOUT EDUCATION FOR devices and equipment should be provided for children with PERSONS WITH DISABILITY all categories of disabilities for their placement in regular schools (Working Group Report on Education of Children ―Education must aim at giving the blind child knowledge of the realities around him, the confidence to with Disabilities, May 1980). Every individual regardless of cope with these realities, and the feeling that he is individual differences has a right to education World Conference on Education for All, 1990) Education of recognized and accepted as an individual in his own right.‖ - Berthold Lowenfeld. persons with disabilities is an integral part of the education system (UN Standard Rules with Equalization of The preamble of the Indian constitution ensures Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities, 1993). All the equal treatment with all citizens of the nation including pre-primary and primary schools should be strengthened in persons with disability and other marginalized groups. It terms of trained manpower and facilities to enroll children includes social, economic and political justice, equal with disabilities (Rights of Children with Disabilities, opportunities in all spheres. The directive principle of state NIPCCD, 1999) policy embodies the state is a welfare state it shall strive to ensure the welfare of the people by securing and protecting The inclusion of persons with disability in the as it may. The state shall, within the limits of its economic mainstream of society through inclusive education is capacity and development, make effective provision for necessary. It will facilitate a platform for PWD by imparting securing the right to work, to education and to public education in ordinary school. The fundamental principle of assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and Salamanca framework for action, article 7 states an inclusive disablement, and in other cases of undeserved wants. school is where children will be educated together. The (section 41, directive principle) the state shall provide free school will recognize the diverse needs of students by and compulsory education to all children until they attain the accommodating appropriate facilities, appropriate curricula, age of 14. (section 45, the directive principle of state policy). organizational arrangements, teaching strategies, resource Persons with disability 1995 put one step further and use and partnership with committees. Continuum support is mandates free education to all persons with a disability up to necessary for children with special need. According to the age of 18 years. Despite all provisions enrolment of Johnson ―It is a flexible and individualized support system visually Impaired is only 5 percent. Educating visually for children and young people with special educational challenged is considered a welfare activity in a country needs because of a disability or for other reasons). It forms where education is a fundamental right. The act encourages an integral component of the overall education system, and the promotion of integrated, residential education, non- is provided in regular schools committed to an appropriate formal education, and functional literacy. It desires education for all.‖ According to United Nations Special education through open schools and universities by ensuring Rapporteur on Disability