Kolkata: The students of Jadavpur University here have taken a novel initiative to help the visually impaired have a feel of their campus. They have curated a Braille map by which the visually impaired students can feel the entire premises of the university. The vice-chancellor of the university claims that this is for the first time in India that such a braille map has been created on a university premises.
Besides, this is the first of its kind Braille map in the entire world made only with hands sans any kind of machine.
Two students of the English Department of Jadavpur University are instrumental behind this effort. Rameshwar Chakraborty and Asthyartha Das, two second-year postgraduate students of English Department, succeeded in curating the university's Braille map as their project. They did this project under the Visibility and Indian Literature department.
The idea actually dawned after they heard from their professor several times during classes about the rights of the blind. "Disabled people are denied of various things. But that should not be the case. Everyone has the right to know where is what in this university. Our main goal is to present a feel of the university premises to everyone," Asthyartha told ETV Bharat.
They made this Braille map by using wooden boards and screws procured from Burrabazar. No gadget or machine has been used. The map has been created completely by hand.
Visibility and Indian Literature professor Ishan Chakraborty was worried initially about what the outcome of the project would be. But eventually, this creation of the students has amazed him.
"When I was teaching them in the class, I used to talk about the rights of the blind people. I am a blind person myself. I used to talk about equal rights. When they told me that they wanted to make such a map, I was surprised. I was scared too because it is not an easy task, but today I am proud and happy," the professor said.
Currently, this braille map is kept on the ground floor of UG Arts premises at the entrance gate 4 of the varsity. This map will be kept in other places of the campus as well in future. Jadavpur University VC Amitabha Dutta participated in the inauguration of the map on Monday evening.
"For the first time in the world, a Braille map was created completely by hand. Also, this is the first Braille map created on a university campus in India. We have many visually impaired students and three professors. Jadavpur University always drives innovation," Dutta told ETV Bharat.
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