Law Notify : A dignified programme focused on the educational empowerment of persons with disabilities was held on January 27 at Lok Bhawan, Civil Lines, Raipur. On this occasion, the Governor of Chhattisgarh, Shri Ramen Deka, formally released two important Braille books titled “Success Stories of Women with Disabilities” and “The Brave Heroes of Chhattisgarh”. Along with this, more than 3,000 audiobooks developed specially for visually impaired children were also launched, marking a strong step towards inclusive education.
The audiobooks cover all subjects from Classes 6 to 12 and include special playlists for competitive examination preparation. In addition, the content features Sargujia stories, general knowledge in Chhattisgarhi and Hindi, separate playlists in Halbi, Punjabi and Chhattisgarhi languages, and material related to women empowerment, government schemes for persons with disabilities, and available support resources. All this content has been made accessible on a single platform through the “World Audio Book” YouTube channel.
Praising this innovative and humane initiative, Governor Ramen Deka said that converting regular textbooks into Braille and creating audiobooks for visually impaired children has opened new doors of knowledge and reflects a truly inclusive approach to education. He described the effort as not only academic but also a sensitive social responsibility. The Governor added that he would encourage teachers in his home state of Assam to undertake similar initiatives so that visually impaired students there can also benefit from accessible learning materials.
He further stated that these audiobooks would be shared with other states through the Governor’s team, helping the initiative emerge as a national model and enabling visually impaired students across the country to benefit from it. Congratulating all the teachers involved, he said such efforts pave the way for positive social change.
The campaign was inspired by President’s Award-winning teacher K. Sharda from Durg, following her national recognition in 2024. Understanding the real educational needs of visually impaired children, she began the initiative on October 25, 2024, and personally recorded more than 800 audiobooks. With the participation of teachers from various districts, the total number of audiobooks later increased to over 3,100.
Earlier, teachers K. Sharda and Preeti Shandilya had jointly prepared Braille books and distributed 100 free copies each to 20 Braille schools across Chhattisgarh. Teachers who contributed to this noble initiative were honoured by the Governor during the programme. A total of 30 teachers actively participated in the audiobook creation campaign, including Assistant Teacher Balram Netam from Mahasamund block, Assistant Teacher Amit Kumar Uikey from Bagbahara block, and teachers Deepa Mahar and Rinkle Bagga.
Once again appreciating the effort, the Governor described the initiative as inspiring and exemplary for society.
