G.C.U and About (CSS)

The year 2008 brings great news for visually challenged students in Pakistan as Government College University (GCU) establishes a Centre for Special Students (CSS). This is the first ever, such center at college or university level established in Pakistan which aims at assisting the visually challenged students in order to eliminate their educational barriers. The number of visually impaired students registered at present from first-year to M.Phil are about 22.

The credit for this centre goes to Prof. Dr. Khalid Aftab, the Vice Chancellor of GCU who is the visionary behind this project. He took personal interest in initiating, planning and arranging the funds for this centre. In opening this centre not only has he facilitated the blind students in their learning, he has also provided them with an equal opportunity to become useful citizens in the society.

The Centre for Special Students (CSS) is attached with GCU Library for IT based services and administrative affairs.

Facilities

The centre offers all the major facilities which the blind students generally require in order to meet their educational demands. Some of the major facilities provided by (CSS) are mentioned below:  

1- Computer Training Classes for Blind Computer Learners

The blind students are given special training in the centre to elevate their understanding regarding the use of computer and specially designed softwares that are widely used all over the world by the blind computer users.

At this modern age, the use of technology has minified most of the problems of the visually impaired people. The main idea, thus, is to train more and more blind students so that they may take the best out of the technology to diminish their educational dependency. For this very cause, the centre is playing a substantial part by promoting the use of technology for blind and giving them proper training to be heavily benefited by it.

2- Solutions for Braille Related Issues

Some blind students in the GCU campus take their exams using the Braille format. The Braille machine, which is used for this purpose is very expensive and most of the students cannot afford it. The centre has arranged for six Perkins Braille machines, which can be used by visually impaired students to take their exams on campus. In addition these Braille machines can also be utilized by the examination branch to transcribe question sheets.

The same Braille machines may also be used by the students to transcribe books/notes and other material related to their college courses.

3- Computers/Speech Output Programs

The centre now offers computers with special, specifically designed screen reader programmes which enable the visually impaired students to work independently in their own special lab and not be dependant on other computer laboratories on the campus. The latest versions of Jaws and open book, (the main screen reader programs used by the blind) are now available in the centre. With the help of these speech oriented programs, the blind students are able to get rid of their certain limitations in different areas and become educationally independent. The facility of computer may also be used for those blind students who take their exams via computer.

4- Internet Surfing

Internet facilities are also available for research purposes. Using their screen reader program (jaws), a visually impaired person may also be able to surf internet independently and in equally effective manner like others.

5- Braille Magazines for Pleasure Reading

The centre for special students (CSS) also has a collection of different Braille magazines for the purpose of pleasure reading.

The magazines may also be issued to the students for a limited period of time. More over, the Braille books shall soon be added to this section of the centre.

6- Braille Dictionary

English to Urdu Braille dictionary designed by Aziz Jahan Bagum Trust for the Blind is available in the Centre. Consulting this six volumes Braille dictionary, the blind students find the greater solution to many of their English vocabulary problems as well as improve their English skills by exploring the meanings of countless words. This unparalleled facility for blind students may not be found in any other college/university of Pakistan.

7- Audio Books/Tutorials

Audio facilities and other related programs are also available for curricular and extracurricular learning. There are number of audio books and training tutorials on different subjects which the students may get from the centre. These training tutorials help the blind computer users discovering the in-depth knowledge regarding the screen reader programs as well as the MS office package.

8- Books-Scanning

The Centre provides the facility of books scanning which allow the blind students to read their course material independently. For this very purpose, the Centre has got the high speed scanner along with the special program, Open book, which enables the visually impaired people to scan material of their own and get it read with the help of speech output softwares.