Maharashtra: Blind girl writes HSC paper with computer aid

The Maharashtra State board’s new rule of allowing the use of a computer for students with special needs has brought much-needed relief to visually-impaired students like Simran Joshi who on Thursday gave her Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) board exam on a computer. “Simran is typing her own answers on the computer with the help of a software that reads loudly what she writes and she can listen through headphones,” said Amruta Joshi, Simran’s mother.

Simran, studied in a regular school at Mulund. According to Joshi’s mother, she faced difficulty in getting admission in a normal school due to her handicap. However, the principal of Laxmibai school allowed Simran to study in the school. Her principal and teachers in the school took extra efforts to help her. Simran has been giving her exams on a computer since she was in class 4.

She used audiobooks and braille books to prepare for the HSC exam.

Simran carried on in the same school till her SSC. However, due to state government rules, she couldn’t use computers to write her 10th-grade board exams. She scored an impressive 86 % with the use of writers during her exam. However, then a chance meeting with education minister Vinod Tawde changed things for her and others like her. “She requested education minister to make computers available for students like her. Mrinmayi Kanitkar is her reader from Ruia College who is helping her in HSC board exam to read questions for her.

Chance Meeting That Changed Lives

• A chance meeting with education minister Vinod Tawde changed things for Simran and others like her
• She requested education minister to make computers available for students like her