The National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) has launched ‘braille books’ which can be read by the blind along with the other children in a regular classroom.
This will help students to be on same space without any feeling of insecurity or discrimination.
These books are available on the NCERT website and can be downloaded free of cost. A bar coded card of these books has also been made through which these books could be downloaded in mobile phones. The books are available in CDs where the internet can not be accessed.
The books have been brought out under ‘Barkhaa Series, supplementary graded reading series, originally developed by the NCERT. While the content of the book is created focusing on making it children friendly.
It has 40 illustrated story booklets across 5 themes, relationships, birds-animals, musical instruments, games and toys, around us, and food, and four reading levels.
Anupam Ahuja of the Department of Education of Groups with Special Needs at the NCERT said, ‘these books are part of efforts to have a real inclusive classroom.
‘Keeping a few children in a separate classroom, only because they have separate traits is not proper and not the way forward,’ Ahuja further added.
According to Hrushikesh Senapaty, Director NCERT said, each booklet has Braille and has several touchable elements besides word-picture so that children can learn easily.
14 states and union territories have borrowed rights to publish and print books. States like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand have also shown interest in doing so, added Senapaty.
“There is no shortage of textbooks. Also, we target to print 4.25 crore books this year. The number of vendors have also increased from 400 to 680,” he said.
