Even as it scurries past every misfortune, busily turning the chapter each day, Mumbai surprises us, every once in a while, with its tender moments &mdash; and its large heart.
Following a report in mid-day on May 9 on blind students of Mumbai University being left to look for writers for their examinations at the eleventh hour (&lsquo;This exam season, a blind chase for writers, thanks to MU&rsquo;s apathy&rsquo;), many citizens have come forward to volunteer for the task.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Archana-Gosavi.jpg" alt="" width="670" height="503" />
Turns out, all that was needed was getting the word out. Organisations helping blind students say many volunteers didn&rsquo;t have an inkling of such students&rsquo; plight. The search for writers is largely a lonely, individual task; the students have to often make arrangements themselves in the absence of a set mechanism. The organisations have demanded that a pool of writers be created to avoid future hassles.
Since mid-day&rsquo;s report, 20-25 volunteers have come forward for the exams, which are underway.
Willing, but clueless Ummehaani Bagasrawala, a blind social worker who has been helping several organisations scout for writers, says the mid-day report helped reverse the tide of apathy. &ldquo;People are willing to help, but they often don&rsquo;t know if their help is needed. We usually rely on word of mouth, especially through social media platforms and known associates, in our search for writers.&rdquo;
She suggests the establishment of a database, wherein volunteers can register themselves and suitable candidates can be contacted as and when the need arises. &ldquo;The task of finding writers will not be maddening then,&rdquo; she adds.
Demand for mechanism Amol Mane from Team Vision, an organisation helping blind candidates find writers for the examination, says finding a suitable writer is a time-consuming and arduous task, since several parameters and conditions must be met.
&ldquo;There are times when we have a person willing to volunteer as a writer, but s/he is deemed an unsuitable candidate for not falling under the prescribed category. For many examinations, a writer has to be the student&rsquo;s junior or from a lower educational background in a different stream. If there is a central mechanism in place, with the data of volunteers, the task can be less tiring.&rdquo; This, as Mane points out, requires a massive awareness campaign.

Thane administration crackdown on illegal sand dredging

Even as it scurries past every misfortune, busily turning the chapter each day, Mumbai surprises us, every once in a while, with its tender moments &mdash; and its large heart

Mumbai isn't blind to these students' needs

Trending Stories

Latest Photos

Latest Videos

Latest Web Stories

Mid-Day Fast

Home / Mumbai / Mumbai News / Article / Mumbai isn't blind to these students' needs

Mumbai isn't blind to these students' needs

Trending Stories

Latest Photos

Latest Videos

Latest Web Stories

Mid-Day Fast