Can’t ignore disabled pupils with e-learning difficulty: HC rosy.seque...@timesgroup.com
Mumbai: Times of India 09-11-2020 Batting for disabled students having difficulties with online learning due to Covid-19, the Bombay high court on Monday told the Centre that it cannot ignore their needs. “They have rights under the [Rights of Persons with Disabilities] Act. You can’t be ignorant of their needs,” said a bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Girish Kulkarni. It heard two public interest litigations, including one by the National Association for the Blind, on difficulties faced by the blind and persons with low vision. The judges reacted after the Centre’s advocate, Rui Rodrigues, sought time, saying that a notice must be issued to the sNational Council of Educational Research and Training to reply. “The process is on to make digital platforms friendly to the disabled,” he said. It was then that the judges said that the Centre must not ignore their needs. They pointed out that from May the court has been told that steps will be taken “We are in September. You have to take it to its logical conclusion,” said the Chief Justice. While the state government’s advocate, Reena Salunkhe, submitted its reply on steps taken for teaching from e-learning centres, the petitioners’ advocate, Uday Warunjikar, said that they are “superficial”. “There are lakhs of disabled students, and 70% disabled students are from rural Maharashtra, having poor internet connectivity. There are specific needs of the disabled, like talkbooks for visually impaired and sign language for the deaf and mute students,’’ he explained. Warunjikar said that a random survey of 51 students in six districts showed that there is no availability of online education or training given to teachers. When the judges pointed out that the state had made a “positive statement” on e-learning and training, Warunjikar said it has referred to the Centre’s Diksha platform for the disabled. The judges, “having regard to the seriousness of the concern expressed”, directed all district social welfare officers to pay surprise visits to all learning centres in the next 10 days to ascertain the nature of services being rendered by them. If any deficiency is noticed, they shall suitably advise to cure it. If it is not possible, it shall be recorded in a status report submitted to the joint secretary, Social Welfare and Special Assistance Department, to compile and submit to the court. TIMES VIEW: Among the many sections of society that have suffered especially during the Covid-19 crisis are the differently abled. When curbs are imposed and the ‘new normal’ introduced, their concerns are not always addressed. For example, restrictions on travelling on the city’s suburban railway network have hit them very hard. The Bombay high court’s point is valid and the government must take its decisions keeping the differently abled in mind. -- Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list.. Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "AccessIndia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to accessindia+unsubscr...@accessindia.org.in. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/CADetga-KMFBozZamvbmqXuciwdtcNchvJ2%3Ds7gFb%2B4VV-7ZPaQ%40mail.gmail.com.
