About CSS

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The year 2008 brings great news for visually challenged students in Pakistan as Government College University (GCU) establishes a Centre for Special Students (CSS). This is the first ever, such center at college or university level established in Pakistan which aims at assisting the visually challenged students in order to eliminate their educational barriers. The number of visually impaired students registered at present from first-year to PhD are about 32.

The credit for this centre goes to Prof. Dr. Khalid Aftab, the Vice Chancellor of GCU who is the visionary behind this project. He took personal interest in initiating, planning and arranging the funds for this centre. In opening this centre not only has he facilitated the blind students in their learning, he has also provided them with an equal opportunity to become useful citizens in the society.

The Centre for Special Students (CSS) is attached with GCU Library for IT based services and administrative affairs.

Facilities

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The centre offers all the major facilities which the blind students generally require in order to meet their educational demands. Some of the major facilities provided by (CSS) are mentioned below:  

1- Computer Training Classes for Blind Computer Learners

The blind students are given special training in the centre to elevate their understanding regarding the use of computer and specially designed softwares that are widely used all over the world by the blind computer users.

At this modern age, the use of technology has minified most of the problems of the visually impaired people. The main idea, thus, is to train more and more blind students so that they may take the best out of the technology to diminish their educational dependency. For this very cause, the centre is playing a substantial part by promoting the use of technology for blind and giving them proper training to be heavily benefited by it.

2- Solutions for Braille Related Issues

Some blind students in the GCU campus take their exams using the Braille format. The Braille machine, which is used for this purpose is very expensive and most of the students cannot afford it. The centre has arranged for six Perkins Braille machines, which can be used by visually impaired students to take their exams on campus. In addition these Braille machines can also be utilized by the examination branch to transcribe question sheets.

The same Braille machines may also be used by the students to transcribe books/notes and other material related to their college courses.

3- Computers/Speech Output Programs

The centre now offers computers with special, specifically designed screen reader programmes which enable the visually impaired students to work independently in their own special lab and not be dependant on other computer laboratories on the campus. The latest versions of Jaws and open book, (the main screen reader programs used by the blind) are now available in the centre. With the help of these speech oriented programs, the blind students are able to get rid of their certain limitations in different areas and become educationally independent. The facility of computer may also be used for those blind students who take their exams via computer.

4- Internet Surfing

Internet facilities are also available for research purposes. Using their screen reader program (jaws), a visually impaired person may also be able to surf internet independently and in equally effective manner like others.

5- Braille Magazines for Pleasure Reading

The centre for special students (CSS) also has a collection of different Braille magazines for the purpose of pleasure reading.

The magazines may also be issued to the students for a limited period of time. More over, the Braille books shall soon be added to this section of the centre.

6- Braille Dictionary

English to Urdu Braille dictionary designed by Aziz Jahan Bagum Trust for the Blind is available in the Centre. Consulting this six volumes Braille dictionary, the blind students find the greater solution to many of their English vocabulary problems as well as improve their English skills by exploring the meanings of countless words. This unparalleled facility for blind students may not be found in any other college/university of Pakistan.

7- Audio Books/Tutorials

Audio facilities and other related programs are also available for curricular and extracurricular learning. There are number of audio books and training tutorials on different subjects which the students may get from the centre. These training tutorials help the blind computer users discovering the in-depth knowledge regarding the screen reader programs as well as the MS office package.

8- Books-Scanning

The Centre provides the facility of books scanning which allow the blind students to read their course material independently. For this very purpose, the Centre has got the high speed scanner along with the special program, Open book, which enables the visually impaired people to scan material of their own and get it read with the help of speech output softwares.

Staff

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News & EVENTS

iqra Educational Trust uk donates English Braille dictionary to gcu

The GC University Library has acquired the full-text English to English dictionary in Braille for the visually-impaired students of the university. Iqra Educational Trust, United Kingdom Chairman Anees Qari on Tuesday donated the dictionary to GCU Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Ikram-ul-Haq along with gift packs for the GCU blind students. GCU Chief Librarian Abdul Waheed, Javira Iqbal and Abdul Qadoos coordinator were also present on this occasion. The donated dictionary is divided into five volumes which contain almost all the words of English language.  The dictionary is placed in the GCU Centre for Special Students. The GCU visually impaired students have expressed pleasure at the availability of the dictionary in Braille at the Centre.

(06-04-2011)

VIPs students participates in the GCU Annual Sports

It is for the first time at the University level, the visually handicapped students have been encouraged to take part in the annual sports. GCU remains to be the only institution in the country to have facilitated the blind students with all the major facilities/equipments to meet their educational needs. Apart from all that tremendous support in the campus, GCU has given the equal recreational opportunities to its sightless students as well by organizing 400 meter race for them in the annual sports of the university. Ten blind students took part in this exciting race in which they had the assistance of sighted runners provided by the sports department of the campus. All the participants were widely cheered by everyone present at the occasion. This surely is another motivating step taken by the university in order to give the sense of equality to the students with print disability. The top three positions were secured by Noor Wali, B.A.(Hons) semester 5, Aalay Ali, B.A.(Hons), semester 1^{st and}  Talha Ali Intermediate part 1 respectively.

(23-02-2011)

GCU provides ACADEMIC FACILITIES BY MANUAL AND ELECTRONIC MODES TO its 32 blind students

The GC University Lahore is the alma mater of the highest  number of visually impaired students as compared to any other university of the country and has set up of a state-of-the-art Centre for Special Students (GCU CSS), said GCU Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Khalid Aftab while chairing a meeting on the White Cane Day. The meeting reviewed the facilities being provided to the visually impaired students at GCU. The Vice Chancellor said that the white cane should not be taken a symbol of weakness; rather, it is a symbol of safety, mobility, resistance and independence of every visually challenged individual. “No university so far in Pakistan possess this infrastructure with the exception of schools for special children,” he added.

The Centre In-charge Salman Khalid, who is also visually-impaired and studied for six years at GCU, said that blind people are being ignored in our society but they at GCU laid special emphasis on their education. He said CSS is facilitating more than 32 blind students with latest reading and hearing facilities which include, Computer with reader (screen reading programmes/software) which enables the blind students to hear the text which is shown on the computer screen. This software allows blind students to access internet, web browsing and book reading. Moreover, the students can take exams independently on computer, unlikely to what they used to do earlier; taking help from the writer. The centre surprises its visitors when they see blind students sending and receiving emails, chatting and browsing without any help. He said that more than six Braille machines are also installed in GCU CSS which help the students to take exams and make on campus notes.

The CSS has imported an expensive Braille Embosser for the centre which can print any digitalised material in Braille. The centre has about 20 high-tech computers which can easily run heavy screen reading software. The centre management with the co-operation of the GCU Library is also providing the lectures to students in mp3 format after recording them, so that they can listen to them again and again. Recently a six volume English to Urdu Braille dictionary is acquired blind students. The GCU Library has also set up a “Braille Reading and Electronic Section” in the Centre with the collection of more than 3,000 books covering various disciplines such as Literature, Psychology, Political Science, Law and others is at hand.

(18-10-2010)

GC UNIVERSITY LIBRARY GETS THE HOLY QURAN IN BRAILLE FOR BLIND STUDENTS

The GC University Lahore Library has made available the full text the Holy Quran in Braille to the visually impaired students of the GCU Centre for Special Students (CSS). A copy of the Holy Quran in Braille is donated to the university library by the IQRA Educational Trust, UK Chairman Anees Qari.

The Chief Librarian GC University said that the donated copy of the Holy Quran is divided into twelve parts and has been placed in the Centre for Special Students (CSS). He said that the Holy Quran is published in Saudi Arabia and the Braille paper is acid-free. “Prof Dr Khalid Aftab Vice Chancellor GC University has issued special directions to provide all kinds of facilities to the university’s special students,” he added. He further said the University has already digitalized curriculum and pleasure-reading books for the blind students besides printing them in Braille. The GCU CSS has high-tech computers who can easily run heavy screen reading software. The Chief Librarian told “The centre surprises its visitors when they see blind students sending and receiving emails, chatting and browsing without any help,”    

The GCU visually impaired students have expressed pleasure at the availability of the Holy Quran in Braille at the Centre, saying that it would provide them an opportunity to read the Quran, the greatest gift by the Almighty Allah to mankind.

(06-05-2010)

Contact Us

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Centre for Special Students (CSS)

Room # 9, Main Building

GC University, Lahore

UAN #: 111-000-010 Ext: 243, 245

PP #: 042-99213348

Email: chieflibrarian@gcu.edu.pk