Bengaluru City University will open an artificial-intelligence-enabled resource centre for blind students within a month, offering training in education, digital literacy, employment readiness and everyday life skills, university vice-chancellor Prof. B. Ramesh has said.
The Integrated Research and Resource Centre will be established with support from Equibeying Foundation, which will fund the estimated ₹80 lakh cost. The centre will be available not only to students from colleges affiliated with the university but also to people from outside the institution.
The university has 270 students with visual disabilities across its affiliated colleges, according to Ramesh. The centre will initially accommodate at least 100 blind people, with plans to increase the number over time. Its proposed facilities include computers, learning materials, Braille resources, assistive gadgets and a library.
Training will cover practical skills such as crossing roads, shaving, combing hair and cooking, alongside skills required for employment. The university said the aim is to reduce dependence on others in personal life and improve access to professional opportunities.
Equibeying Foundation CEO Anantalakshmi said the initiative was intended to help blind people benefit from technology and pursue higher education. Citing the 2011 Census, she said India had 22 lakh blind people, around 50% of whom had not attended school, while the share pursuing higher education was about 5%.
The foundation said it would work towards building confidence and supporting independent living. It also plans to facilitate access to private-sector employment and provide training suited to the requirements of blind students. The university and foundation will seek support from companies for equipment and other resources.
The announcement comes alongside the launch of a one-year diploma course in rehabilitation for blind people at the university. The course has been started in collaboration with the Karnataka branch of the National Association for the Blind, and 15 students have already enrolled. Students who have passed the second-year pre-university examination can still apply, according to the institution.
National Association for the Blind Karnataka CEO Rajesh said Karnataka has more than 40 voluntary organisations working with blind people, but trained teachers remain in short supply. Graduates of the diploma course will be eligible to work as teachers in organisations and schools for blind students, he said.
The curriculum has been prepared with the National School for the Blind, while Samarthanam Trust will provide scholarships to students enrolled in the diploma course, Ramesh said. The university described the programme as a step towards creating trained professionals for rehabilitation services and expanding employment opportunities in the sector.
The resource centre is expected to begin operations within one month. Its initial focus will be on providing training, assistive technology and learning support to blind students and other users who require the facilities.
