School Board allows computer and braille keyboards in exams

India Abroad News Service; New Delhi; December 1, 2005

Children with disability will now have a better chance to secure fair marks in the 10th and 12th standard class, thanks to the decision taken by the Council of the Indian School Certificate Examinations (C.I.S.C.E.). The council has decided to allow disabled children under the I.C.S.E. to use computers and Braille keyboards in examinations with immediate effect.

Earlier, disabled students were given extra time in examinations and allowed a reader-cum-writer for their convenience. This latest initiative will enable them to have a suitable interface while attending to their examinations.

'Some students suffer from dysgraphia (writing disability) but they are intelligent. We hope the introduction of computer and Braille keyboards will give them justice,' said Rita Wilson, Deputy Secretary, C.I.S.C.E.

The initiative is the first of its kind by any educational board in India. The declaration came just before World Disability Day on December 3, 2005.