Visually impaired students have flagged multiple infrastructural shortcomings at the educational institutes in the city and allege they have a tough time finding scribes to help them during their exam.This is in direct contravention of The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, which mandates that educational institutions ensure their infrastructure, curriculum and teaching methods are accessible to students with disabilities.The students, however, claim they have to run from pillar to post as hardly any efforts are made by the government agencies concerned to provide them with scribes.Rajesh Kumar, a student of BA final year at SCD Government College, says he had to make a lot of efforts just to find a scribe who was Class VII pass out. “No one is coming to our rescue. We are helpless, and on top of it, we are often exploited while getting scribes who can write for us during exam. Those who have sufficient money hire writers much in advance. But we are left at the mercy of authorities and have to take exam with whoever is provided to us,” adds Kumar.He says senior scribes can do more justice, claiming juniors are not mature enough to handle things smoothly. A lot of other visually impaired students echo Kumar’s concerns.Brij Bhushan Goyal, a retired professor, filed for information from the Panjab University (PU) under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.“The RTI reply says certain facilities are available. However, on the mechanism to enforce the guidelines in affiliated colleges, the PU had no information. It advised approaching individual colleges. The Directorate of Public Instruction (DPI), Higher Education, said no such requirement had been communicated to it by the colleges concerned,” says Goyal.Another visually impaired student said all of his colleagues face daily challenges in pursuing education. “Teachers do not provide digital copies of syllabus books in our preferred language. It would allow us to read and listen using online applications. Students are left to struggle on their own. College libraries do not provide dedicated desks for visually impaired students as well,” the student adds.Self-learning Braille devices should be provided at dedicated desks in libraries for digital accessibility. If colleges admit visually impaired students, they must ensure study material is made available in accessible formats through typing, scanning, editing or audio recording. Many visually impaired students come from economically weaker backgrounds and can’t afford these facilities. The computers in libraries should be equipped with useful software, such as Non-Visual Desktop Access (NVDA), the student adds.Another student highlights the difficulty in arranging scribes for examinations. According to the norms, a scribe should have studied a class lower than the candidate. However, students say it is difficult to find such helpers as most of the latter have their own examinations.“We are forced to arrange scribes at high cost from neighbouring states. Colleges do not pay fee for scribes. It is only on the PU campus that the authorities provide Rs 350 per exam to the writer. We have to shell out up to Rs 1,500, and sometimes more, to hire scribes for each subject. It is unjustified. We don’t get any support from the Red Cross or other non-governmental organisations (NGO),” says another student.Goyal says visually impaired students face more hardships during the placement process.“Even after overcoming academic challenges, getting a job is difficult in a competitive environment. Departments conducting examinations are not often sensitive to the issues faced by visually impaired candidates. Recently, the Subordinate Services Selection Board of Punjab announced a written examination for Group D posts, scheduled for April 5. Candidates have been asked to appear in person with scribes for document verification. This is discouraging. Verification should be conducted in the candidates’ respective cities by government officials,” adds Goyal.