The students of Muenselling Institute in Khaling, Tashigang, will now enjoy better access to textbooks and other paper materials. The institute received a heavy-duty braille embosser from Save the Children recently.
A braille embosser is an impact printer that renders text as tactile braille cells. It presses dots down onto a piece of paper to let a visually impaired person using the braille system read by using their fingers.
The equipment worth Nu 3.03 includes Index fan Fold V5 Embosser, braille paper, swell machine, swell touch paper, and plastic binding combs among others.
“We have been working with education ministry for many years. It was one of the programs that are for the benefit of mass but very often we find that these programs do not really meet the needs of the very small pockets of children with very special needs,” Man Bdr Ghaley, the National Director of Save the Children Bhutan Country Office, said.
At present, the institute has been struggling with the task of translating reading materials into braille with old and worn out equipment.
The education ministry and the teachers of the institute are now hopeful the equipment can generate sufficient study books as per the requirement.
“But now having received this new fanfold heavy-duty embosser, we are much comfortable than before, things will be easier. At the end of the day, the main objective is to provide textbooks like to any other children of the country. With this heavy-duty machine, we are very optimistic the objective will be fulfilled,” Kuenga Chhogyel, a teacher with the institute, said.
“With that printing machine, you can print study books for the children. Then we also have these swell machines, they call it the tactile graphics. So with the help of that machine, students are able to read maps as well,” Karma Tshering, the Director General of the Department of School Education, said.
The project is a part of the 10-year roadmap developed for Inclusive Education for Children with disabilities and the provision of assistive devices to support teaching-learning for children with visual and hearing impairment.
As of now, there are 53 visually impaired students in the Muenselling Institute.
