JU must be disability-friendly

It is quite shocking that despite being one of the oldest public universities in the country, Jahangirnagar University (JU) is yet to figure out a way to address the needs of its students with disabilities. Although a number of students get admitted under the "disability quota" every year, JU has neither any proper reading materials nor any seats reserved for such students. Moreover, there is no official scribe without whose support it is difficult for them to appear in exams, or even attend classes. Also, the university does not have any funds to cover the education expenses of many of these students who come from low-income backgrounds. In the absence of any initiative to support their needs, many students find it hard to continue their education.

Just imagine: there is no special corner for braille books for the visually impaired students in the university's central library. This speaks volumes about the apathy of the university authorities towards the students with disabilities. While many higher educational institutions, such as Dhaka University, have made a lot of progress in this regard, Jahangirnagar University is shockingly lagging behind. It is not hard to imagine what students with other types of disabilities face at the university.

The question is: Why have our universities still not been able to ensure a disability-inclusive higher education system, despite the fact that we have all the necessary policy frameworks to do so? Bangladesh ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2007, and formulated the Rights and Protection of Persons with Disabilities Act in 2013. While, as per these laws, all public establishments must be accessible to people with disabilities, we often see them facing difficulties in their educational institutions, workplaces, and public transports. Students of JU are also facing the same problem, as there are no ramps in the academic buildings or residential halls for those who use wheelchairs. If this is the condition of one of the most prominent public universities in the country, one can safely assume what it might be like in other universities.

We urge the administrations of all public universities to take this issue seriously and provide all the support that students with different types of disabilities need in pursuing higher education. There should be enough funds in their annual budgets to cater to the needs of these students. While appropriate reading materials must be made available at all departments and at the central libraries, scribes or assistants must also be employed to support the students taking exams. Furthermore, the buildings at these institutions must have ramps and proper toilet facilities according to their needs. All these changes are essential to make higher education accessible to people with disabilities.