Admitted to colleges, visually impaired students struggle for accommodation

Finding no response from any hostel, the trio reached the Mantralaya to plead their case with the Social Justice Department officials. Deepali said: “If I don’t get a hostel accommodation in Mumbai, it will put a question mark on my further studies.”

Deepali Sanjay Mali, a visually impaired student from Dhule, has got admission to first year Bachelor of Arts at Ruhia College Mumbai. The tall and lean Deepali, who had scored 67 per cent, managed to get admission to a subject of her choice, history. But her problem is to find a suitable place for lodging and boarding. Deepali, accompanied by two other visually impaired students, Gajanan Gawli and Sunil Rathod, has been knocking at the doors of the Ministry of Social Justice seeking a decent government hostel that would facilitate their higher studies.

Visually impaired students from rural Maharashtra choose Mumbai as the most preferred destination for higher studies because of better support systems that address their concerns, but they struggle to find suitable accommodation.

After scoring 79 per cent, Gajanan Gawli from Jalna also enrolled in the history course at Ruhia College. Almost four months after getting admission, Gajanan is still scouting for a hostel in Mumbai. Sunil Rathod from Dhule, who scored 67 per cent, also got admission to Kirti College. However, Rathod also failed to get admission to any hostel.

A senior officer in the Department of Social Justice said: “On an average, we receive 25,000 applications from students seeking admission to government hostels in Mumbai. At present, our capacity across 36 districts of Maharashtra is 90,000 students.”

While admitting lack of infrastructure to tackle the basic requirements of the physically challenged, including visually impaired students, the official said: “We are considering separate hostels, complete with boarding and lodging facilities in Mumbai. In Ahmedabad, there is a special hostel building solely dedicated to visually impaired students. It is well-equipped  and designed for visually impaired students.”

Despite the hardships, physically challenged and visually impaired students insist on Mumbai colleges as they get the support system that is not available in their home districts. Gajanan said: “When we study in Mumbai, we have access to audio books, braille printing, and writers. In colleges in our own districts, such basic facilities are not provided. Moreover, colleges in Mumbai are more sympathetic towards visually impaired students and are also concerned.”

“The only problem is finding a hostel. We get better treatment from the college and the people in the city,” he said.
Deepali, Gajanan and Sunil, who have become friends making hostel a common cause among them, arrive in Mumbai by train from Dhule and Jalna to attend college once or twice a week. They leave Mumbai by the night train. After their college, they take some hours to hop hostels to make requests for accommodation.

Finding no response from any hostel, the trio reached the Mantralaya to plead their case with the Social Justice Department officials. Deepali said: “If I don’t get a hostel accommodation in Mumbai, it will put a question mark on my further studies.”

The three students from lower income groups fear lack of accommodation in the city would impact their dream to pursue higher studies. Sunil said: “Being visually impaired, we rely on braille or audio books to cope with the challenges. We have to depend on good writers to cope with the exams. Mumbai colleges provide all these special facilities.”