Visually impaired Haroon Kareem created history of sorts on Tuesday when he wrote the SSLC Malayalam examination on computer without a scribe’s support. He became the first student in Kerala to write the SSLC examination on computer.
When the invigilator C. Manoj read out the questions, Haroon typed the answers on the laptop at a special cabin arranged at the Government Higher Secondary School, Mankada.
On cloud nine
Haroon, his friends, family and teachers were on cloud nine as he surmounted many technical hurdles to write the examination on the computer in spite of his total blindness.
“This is a small beginning of a massive change. Our community (the visually impaired) should be brought to the mainstream, rather than being given a special status,” said Haroon.
Haroon had studied at a blind school at Mankada until Class 7. From Class 8, he said goodbye to Braille and strived to take notes and write exams on laptop. He said the entire school had supported him. He was excited to speak about his friends and teachers. His close friend Athira used to help him by drawing diagrams and pictures on his hand whenever the teacher drew one on the blackboard.
“There should be nothing special. The visually impaired should not be confined in special schools. They should be brought to the mainstream,” he said.
His father Abdul Kareem, who is a farmer, and mother Sabeera, who is a teacher, said they were proud of Haroon.
Role model
“He should be an inspiration for hundreds of others who are being sidelined because of their visual impairment. Their parents should take initiative to bring them to the mainstream,” said Mr. Kareem. Mr. Kareem had taught Haroon computer keyboard from his primary school. Haroon took a special liking for the computer, and developed software of his own to write the examinations on computer. His teachers and friends were in awe when he finished the first day’s SSLC Malayalam examination in good time and took a printout of the answer sheet.
