Indorean who can't see, speak or hear passes Class 10 with help of
deaf-mute writerGurdeep Kaur Vasu (in red dupatta) with mother Manjeet
(extreme left) , sister Harpreet (right) and sign language teacher
Monika Purohit
..
INDORE: Braille, signs and mettle of steel came together to script
this 'special' story. A 31-year-old Indore woman, who can neither see,
nor hear or speak, has passed the Class 10 board exams with the help
of a deaf-mute writer.
The celebrations haven't stopped at the house of Gurdeep Kaur Vasu
since the results were declared on May 25. She scored 56% in her
papers, and full marks for resolve.
"According to our information, this is the first time a student with
triple disabilities has appeared for board examination," Indore
district education officer Mangesh Kumar Vyas told TOI.
Behind the success was her family - especially her mother Manjeet and
sister Harpreet. Gurdeep's teacher, Monika Sharma Purohit, said she
was taught with a special technique, which was a concoction of
American Sign Language (ASL), Braille in English script and tactile
sign language.
In the MP board, there was no course material in English Braille, so
we had to approach the National Institute for the Visually Handicapped
in Dehradun to get the books that arrived in December and January,
just a few months before the exam in March. However, we had already
started our preparations," said Purohit.
Harpreet made notes during Purohit's class for her elder sister.
"Harpreet would go home and convert the notes into English Braille so
that Gurdeep could have material for self-studies," she told TOI.
One mountain conquered, another loomed. "According to MP board
guidelines, a person with visual impairment can opt for a scribe
junior by one or two classes (if appearing for 10th, the scribe can be
from class 9 or 8). However, Gurdeep, with triple disabilities, was
able to communicate only in tactile language, which an ordinary scribe
wouldn't understand unless they knew tactile and sign language. We
sought the collector's permission for a scribe, who was also speech
and hearing impaired," Purohit told TOI, adding that there are no
provisions in the guidelines for students with triple disabilities.
"This was one of rarest of the rare cases. If there are many such
cases, the government spends time developing a framework. Since this
was the first of its kind, on humanitarian basis and in compliance
with the board guidelines, a certificate was provided," DEO Vyas said.
The green light was on, but communication during examination proved to
be a hurdle. It was difficult and time consuming. Scribe had to
explain each question using tactile sign language, after which Gurdeep
would give answers to writer.
Elated by the success, Gurdeep wants to study computers and get an
IT-related job.
Her success is inspiring but also signals the need for a change in
exam patterns and guidelines, say experts. "An examination should test
knowledge, not writing skills," Purohit said, suggesting that only
multiple-choice questions (MCQs) be asked to persons with special
needs.
Asked about guidelines, secretary of Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary
Education, Srikanth Banoth said, "There are a lot of accommodations
made by the board for the students. Now, this is a special case that
came to the fore this year, so we will make guidelines this year in a
way that students with triple disabilities don't face any problem in
the future." TNN
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/indore/indorean-who-cant-see-speak-or-hear-passes-class-10-with-help-of-deaf-mute-writer/articleshow/100720655.cms?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=TOI&fbclid=IwAR1wPOn01o8Fw94M-IXLxCfI0NVoB3Q8Y4QXyDOtrmsmBv0E0Le1U_K-eGQ
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