English and Foreign Languages University (Eflu),the only university in the state which offers foreign languages including German,French,Spanish,Arabic and Russian at under-graduate and post-graduate level,has decided not to admit visually challenged students for the coming academic year 2012-13.The university made this decision public in the instruction section,Point 9(b) of its online application form.Last year,54 students from the visually challenged category had taken admission in the university.
The university stated that it does not have necessary infrastructure for the visually challenged students who want to take admission in the foreign languages.When asked,the university authorities said that they do not have supporting software for foreign languages and getting scribes for such students has become increasingly difficult.However,the universitys decision is in violation of the UGC rules which state that students in the disabilities category should not be denied admission citing lack of infrastructure.It is also in violation of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities,Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act,1995 based on which the university officials can be taken to court.
Interestingly,the university has decided to exclude only visually challenged students from the category of people with disabilities (PWD).The instructions state,However,other candidates under PWD category can apply to these programmes.
The decision has come as a shock to students who wanted to apply for foreign languages course in the university.I did my MA French from the university and I used to manage with my own scribe and JAWS software.This year,I wanted to apply for MA in Spanish programme but they turned down my request for admission, said Usha K N,a visually challenged student.Usha was the first visually challenged student in the foreign language studies when she first took admission in 2008.
The decision to exclude the visually challenged students from taking admission in the university was proposed by the Spanish and German departments.The issue was discussed in the application committee and prospectus committee.But it was not discussed in the academic council meeting, said a source.In spite of the clause included in the prospectus,some students were told that they might be allowed to take admission if the university vice-chancellor agrees to their request.Student outfits within the university alleged that even in the communication department students from visually challenged category were not allowed to take admission as they will not be able to handle television and video production courses.
Ironically,in other universities including Osmania University and University of Hyderabad,visuallychallenged students were admitted for similar programmes earlier.In Eflu too,such students have done courses including MA,M Phil and PhDs.This amounts to discrimination and it cannot be allowed.Visually-challenged students and activists have been fighting against such discrimination in universities and other educational institutions which go against the UGC norms, said D Ramkumar,an activist and member Access India Forum for Visually Challenged,that is based out of Pondicherry.