“This is a small beginning of a massive change. The visually impaired community should be brought to the mainstream, rather than being given a special status,” said Haroon Kareem on Tuesday, when he became the first visually impaired student to score full A+ in the SSLC examination after taking the exams on computer. “It’s our society’s achievement,” he said.
Congratulatory calls inundated Haroon’s home at Melattur in Malappuram district soon after Education Minister C. Raveendranath announced the SSLC results. Apart from Mr. Raveendranath, Minister for Higher Education K.T. Jaleel, Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan and a host of others called to greet him.
The State on Tuesday celebrated Haroon’s achievement as a path-breaking one.
He was featured in these columns in March for creating history of sorts when he wrote the SSLC exams on computer without a scribe’s support.
A student of Government Higher Secondary School, Mankada, Haroon bid adieu to Braille in Class VIII. He started taking class notes on his laptop, and pledged that he would attempt the SSLC exam on a computer without a scribe’s support. He did it by circumventing a lot of technical hurdles.
He is grateful for the love and support he got from his friends and teachers. His friend Athira used to help him by drawing diagrams and pictures on his hand whenever the teacher drew one on the blackboard.
His father Abdul Kareem, a farmer, had taught him how to work on a computer keyboard during primary school.
“He should inspire those who are being sidelined because of their visual impairment. Their parents should take initiative to bring them to the mainstream,” said Mr. Kareem.
Haroon has begun offering online classes for the visually impaired.
