National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities, Divyangjan (NIEPVD)

The National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (Divyangjan), is a premier Institute in the field of visual disability working under the administrative control of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government o ry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. The Institute is committed to promote rights and dignity of persons with visual impairments. In order to achieve this laudable objective, the Institute produces trained manpower for providing quality education, vocational training and rehabilitation services to the visually impaired persons. It also undertakes research and developmental activities ensuring emergence of disability inclusive policies, programmes and practices. Its R&D activities have contributed a number of useful tools and enabling technologies for equal participation by the visually impaired persons in different walks of life. The Institute is largest producer and distributor of Braille literature and devices in the country including talking books. The NIEPVD has its Headquarters at 116, Rajpur Road,Dehradun with one Regional Centre at Chennai (Tamil Nadu) established in 1988 and two Regional Chapters at Kolkata (W.B.) and Secunderabad (Andhra Pradesh) established in the year 1997. These Chapters provide peripheral services and are being served by a small component of Officers and Staff transferred from the Headquarters, whereas, Regional Centre at Chennai is a full-fledged Institute with staff strength of 30 headed by a Regional Director. The Institute also coordinates and supervises Composite Regional Centre for Persons with Disabilities, Sundernagar (H.P.) established in the year 2001. In order to provide equal opportunities of education, training, work and participation in social, cultural and political life, the Government of India, State Governments and the Union Territory (UT) Administrations have introduced a number of affirmative initiatives, schemes and programmes. The Government of India have also put in place an impressive legal framework, ensuring better protection and promotion of rights of persons with disabilities. The institutional arrangement put in place for training of special education teachers and rehabilitation workers, in the shape of seven National Institutes, is of great importance. Apart from undertaking HRD activities, these National Institutes are the major research bodies on disability issues. They have contributed numerous techniques and technologies facilitating equal opportunities for persons with disabilities in all walks of life. The National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (Divyangjan) (NIEPVD) at 116, Rajpur Road, Dehradun is one of the seven National Institutes working under the administrative control of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwDs), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India. It was established way back in 1943 as St Dunstan’s Hostel for the War Blinded for providing rehabilitation services to the soldiers and sailors blinded in the World War II. In 1950, the Government of India took over the St. Dunstan’s Hostel and entrusted the same to Ministry of Education with the responsibility of developing comprehensive services for the rehabilitation of blind persons. On integration of all these units in 1967, the Government established the National Centre for the Blind (NCB). This Centre was further upgraded as National Institute for the Visually Handicapped in the year 1979 and finally in October 1982, it was registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and acquired the status of an autonomous body. The NIEPVD is undoubtedly one of the country’s prestigious institutions completing its glorious 75 years of providing rehabilitation services to the visually impaired persons. The NIEPVD campus at Dehradun is spread across 1,74,150 sq.meters (43 acres) of land area. There are 08 office buildings, having plinth area of 19,000 sq. meters, 119 residential quarters having plinth area of 7,800 sq. meters, 3 hostel buildings having plinth area of 13,500 sq. meters and a dispensary building of 350 sq. meters plinth area. It has 11,700 sq. meters of roads, water supply lines, sewerage lines, electrical supply lines etc. The Government of India has given special attention to the persons with disabilities. This stems out of the fact that on the recommendation of Shri Narendera Modi, Honorable Prime Minister of India, the term “Divyangjan” was added. The name of the Institute was also changed from NIVH to NIEPVD in the year 2016. This is a landmark event as the change of name and addition of Divyangjan is surely to bring about change in Society’s outlook towards persons with visual disability. This is also destined to get focused attention from the Govt. of India towards this section of the society to bring them up with mainstream society so that persons with disabilities play a productive and constructive role in nation building. The Government of India also framed a new law titled ‘The Rights of Persons’ with Disabilities Act, 2016. The rights of visually impaired persons are now an intrinsic part of the rights paradigm. They are now bonfire members of the State, that considers empowering them economically and legally by making them employable and skilled. The National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (Divyangjan), also known as the National Institute for the Visually Handicapped (NIVH), is located in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. It operates under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, supervised by the Indian government’s Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities. NIEPVD offers workshops, events, and courses as part of its Special Educational Programmes, including RCI License courses. NIEPVD is one of the seven National Institutes operating under the administrative control of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwDs), which is part of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment in the Government of India. These institutes have been established to address various aspects related to the empowerment, rehabilitation, and welfare of persons with disabilities in India. The institute is affiliated with Sri Dev Suman Uttarakhand University, New Tehri. ...view more