Lucknow: Translating Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s vision of inclusive education and empowerment of persons with disabilities into action, Dr Shakuntala Mishra National Rehabilitation University inaugurated the state’s first state-university-level Braille library section. The modern Braille library, set up on the first floor of the Swami Vivekananda Central Library, was inaugurated by Vice-Chancellor Acharya Sanjay Singh as the chief guest. Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor paid floral tribute to the statue of Louis Braille, the father of Braille script, at the university’s Braille press premises on his birth anniversary. The Braille library section was then formally inaugurated by cutting the ribbon.
The programme began with the Vice-Chancellor lighting the ceremonial lamp while holding the hands of visually impaired students. On the occasion, he encouraged students to become self-reliant and directed the university administration to provide them with modern computer training as well. He said that Braille script is a powerful medium of education for visually impaired persons, enabling them to connect with the mainstream of society.
Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Backward Classes Welfare and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Narendra Kashyap, said that the Braille library houses more than 4,000 NEP-based academic Braille books for 54 UG and PG courses published by the university’s Braille press. This is the first state university in Uttar Pradesh to develop a well-organised Braille library section with such a large collection. The library also features a reading room with seating capacity for over 150 students.
Spokesperson and Library In-charge Prof Yashwant Veeroday informed that a target has been set to increase the number of Braille books to 10,000 within this year. Along with academic books, the library will also offer novels, plays, biographies of eminent personalities, and literary works.
He further said that in line with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s vision of education for all, the library will not be limited to the university alone. Visually impaired persons from outside will also be able to access the facility by obtaining membership. Special, casual, and corporate membership options have been introduced. Special membership will be available to scholars, researchers, academicians, and residents of Lucknow, subject to submission of two residential proofs along with the membership form. Guest lecturers, retired teachers, and employees of the rehabilitation university can become special members by paying the prescribed library fee. Casual membership will be granted for up to six months at a time, allowing access to library resources upon payment of the required fee, though no books will be issued to irregular members. Under corporate membership, any organisation based in Lucknow can become a member by paying an annual fee, entitling the organisation to six library tickets for use by its employees.
Braille research scholar Ajay Kumar Dwivedi, along with Rohit, Ram Sakal, Manoj, Ajay, and other visually impaired students, expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the university administration for this initiative. They said that while Louis Braille gave them the script to read, the university has provided them with dignity, facilities, and meaningful opportunities.
