High Court Directs Karnataka Govt. To Provide Braille Text Books For Visually Disabled Students Within 15 Days

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum said,

"This Court, on 18.03.2020, has passed an interim order on an assurance given by the learned AGA that the textbooks in Braille for Class-I to X of the Kannada medium will be available from the next academic year. As the next academic year has already commenced, the State Government is directed to provide textbooks in Braille for all special children (visual disabilities) positively within a period of 15 days from today, if the same has not been done."

The Court while hearing a petition filed by the National Federation Of The Blind, Karnataka, also recorded the statement of the Government Advocate that "As many as 107 books have been uploaded in the website enabling the specially-abled children to access those books."

The petition was filed on behalf of the children who are specially-abled. The contention of the petitioner is that in the State of Karnataka, textbooks are not available in Braille and they have also not been uploaded on the website in PDF form so that a printout can be taken in Braille.

The court in its order dated March 18, 2020, had taken on record a memo filed by the state government in which it was said that the Karnataka Text Book Society has already provided the PDF files of Classes 1 to 10 of the Kannada Medium to Braille Press, Mysuru.

The memo also mentioned that the said printing press is preparing the textbooks in Braille and the textbooks to the children with visual disabilities will be provided as per the indent given by Samagra Shikshana Karnataka. The learned Additional Government Advocate, on instructions, had said that the textbooks in Braille for Class 1 to 10 of the Kannada medium will be available from the next academic year.

Thus, directing the Government to fulfill the statement made by it last year, the court has now posted the matter for further hearing on October 7. State has been directed to file a compliance report.

Case Title: The National Federation Of The Blind, Karnataka v. State Of Karnataka

Case No: WP 52201/2019