Guwahati : The All Assam Blind Students’ Union has raised a range of long-pending concerns related to education, employment, skill development and social security for visually impaired students, urging the Assam government to take immediate corrective measures.

At a press conference at the Gauhati Press Club on Monday, representatives of the union highlighted shortages of Braille teachers and textbooks in schools for visually impaired students, saying the lack of adequate learning resources was adversely affecting their education.

The union said students were also facing difficulties in academic and competitive examinations because appropriate alternatives were not always available for visually impaired candidates.

According to the students, map-based questions in subjects such as history pose particular challenges, while visually impaired candidates face difficulties in mathematics during competitive examinations because of inadequate access to suitable tools and assistive resources.

The union called for the establishment and strengthening of skill development centres specifically designed for visually impaired students. Such centres, it said, would help students acquire employable skills and improve their prospects in the job market.

The students also demanded equal opportunities for visually impaired candidates in recruitment through the Assam Direct Recruitment Examination (ADRE), alleging that existing arrangements do not adequately address their specific requirements.

On higher education, the union said the provision for 5 per cent reservation for visually impaired students was not being properly implemented in Assam. It cited institutions such as Jawaharlal Nehru University and the University of Delhi as examples where reservation provisions for visually impaired students are being implemented.

The union also sought an immediate review of discrepancies in the implementation of the Deen Dayal Divyangjan and pension schemes, as well as the Orunodoi scheme, to ensure that eligible beneficiaries receive the intended benefits.

At the same time, the students raised concerns over alleged misuse of disability-related benefits, claiming that some individuals who are not visually impaired are accessing benefits meant for persons with disabilities. They urged the government to strengthen verification mechanisms to prevent such misuse without creating additional barriers for genuine beneficiaries.

The All Assam Blind Students’ Union has called for the formation of a high-level committee to examine the issues and recommend concrete measures to address the long-standing problems faced by visually impaired students across the state.

The union said improving access to Braille education, examination support, higher education, skills training and employment opportunities was essential to ensuring equal participation of visually impaired students in Assam’s education system and workforce.