Promise broken as 1K kids await Braille books

Visually impaired students of 10 govt schools are relying on second-hand textbooks or recordings of teachers to learn

- SUBASHINI VIJAYAKUMAR

RAJESH (name changed), a visually impaired student, recently joined Class XI at a government higher secondary school for visually impaired in the state. Having studied in a regular school until Class X, Rajesh had relied on audio recording of teachers and other reading aids instead of learning Braille. Now, for the first time, he is being introduced to Braille, a transition that has been challenging in itself. Making it more difficult is the fact that he is forced to use second-hand Braille textbooks passed down by former students. The repeated use has flattened the embossed letters, making them hard for him to feel and read.