Lok Sabha Question No. 1170 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-11
Subject: Braille Literacy
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab, Shri Yogender Chandolia, Dr. Hemant Vishnu Savara, Shri Anurag Sharma, Shri Dineshbhai Makwana

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT DEPARTMENT OF EMPOWERMENT OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

## LOK SABHA

## Braille Literacy

1170: DR. HEMANT VISHNU SAVARA; SHRI YOGENDER CHANDOLIA; SHRI ANURAG SHARMA; SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB; SHRI DINESHBHAI MAKWANA;

Will the Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  details  of  plans  to  integrate  Braille  into  mainstream  educational  institutions  for children with visual disabilities;
- (b) the details of important initiatives for the Empowerment of visually impaired persons;
- (c) the details of plans to increase the Braille Literacy in India; and
- (d)  the  details  of  number  of  people  benefited  through  different  initiatives  for  visually impaired persons?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF  STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (SHRI B.L. VERMA)

- (a) National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (NIEPVD), Dehradun,  under  the  administrative control of DEPwD,  is  dedicated  to supporting individuals  with  visual  disabilities,  with  a  primary  objective  of  providing  education  and training.    As  part  of  this  initiative,  a  Universal  Design  Centre  for  Reading  is  being established in collaboration with the National Book Trust to promote the use of Braille in educational materials and train educators to incorporate Braille into their teaching methodologies.  Additionally, the institute  conducts  awareness  programs  and  teacher training sessions to enhance  the capacity of mainstream  educational  institutions in supporting students with visual impairments.
- (b)  to  (d)  The  Government  has  undertaken  several  initiatives  for  the  empowerment  of visually impaired persons:
- I. The Financial  Support  for  Development  of  Accessible  Learning  Materials (DALM  Project) (formerly  the  Braille  Press  Project)  under  the Scheme  for Implementation  of  Rights  of  Persons  with  Disabilities  Act  (SIPDA) provides accessible  learning  materials  free  of  cost.  Since  its  inception  in  2014, 1,63,390 students have  received  free  school  textbooks  and  other  learning  materials  in accessible formats. The objectives of the DALM Project include:
- i. Providing financial support as a Recurring Grant-in-Aid to approved implementing agencies for offering  free-of-cost  Accessible  Learning  Materials to  school-going  children  with  visual  impairment  and  students  with  visual impairment  pursuing  higher  education.  The  accessible  formats  include  Braille textbooks, Talking Books, E-Pubs/Digital Books, and Large Print Books.
- ii. Providing financial support as Non-Recurring Grant-in-Aid for:
- a) Establishing new Braille Presses and modernizing existing Braille Presses.
- b) Capacity augmentation and modernization of existing Talking Book Studios .
- c)  Setting  up  new Digital  Book  Production  Centres and  upgrading  existing ones.
- d) Establishing new Large Print Production Centres and modernizing existing ones.
- II. Under the Assistance  to  Persons  with  Disabilities  for  Purchase/Fitting  of  Aids and Appliances (ADIP) Scheme) ,  Braille script equipment is provided to visually impaired  individuals  for  their  education  and  rehabilitation.  In  the  last  three  years, 50,457 visually impaired persons have benefited.
- III. The National  Action  Plan  for  Skill  Development  of  PwDs aims  to  provide vocational training and improve employability. To facilitate its implementation, the PM-DAKSH-DEPwD Portal was launched in September 2023. Since its launch:
-  157  visually  impaired  persons and 29  persons  with  low  vision have completed skill training.
-  Currently, 144 visually impaired persons and 10 persons with low vision are undergoing skill training.
- IV. The DEPwD  issued  guidelines  on  08.11.2024 regarding  the  identification  and reservation  of  posts  for  persons  with  benchmark  disabilities  (PwBDs),  including those with visual impairments, in central government establishments.
- V. To  further  enhance  Braille  literacy  in  India,  the  following  measures  have  been initiated:
-  Establishment  of Assistive  Technology  Rooms and  training  facilities  to  promote Braille education.
-  Conducting short-term specialized training programs for students and teachers to enhance Braille literacy.
-  Raising  awareness  about Braille  literacy  among  educational  institutions and conducting job fairs in collaboration with companies to facilitate job placements for visually impaired individuals.
-  Offering skill  development  programs in  various  fields  such  as  Data  Entry, Assistive  Technology,  Computer  Programming,  Coping  Skills  for  Work  &  Social Life, and Braille Shorthand (Hindi), ensuring proficiency in Braille-related skills.
-  NIEPVD released a 'Manual on Bharati Braille' on November 26, 2024 , serving as a comprehensive guide for enhancing understanding and practical application of Bharati Braille in educational and professional settings.
-  On January 4, 2025 ,  the DEPwD and NIEPVD released 'A Standard Bharati Braille Code' , further standardizing Braille usage across India.
-  Braille  teaching  is  a  core  component  of  the Special  Education  (VI)  programs , school  education,  and  various  skill  development  courses,  benefiting  about 566 students across different levels of education and training.

Unstarred Question No.1170

To be answered on 11.02.2025

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