Bangaluru: The third-year BCom class is under way at Jain University, Jayanagar. The lecturer is moving around in a specific pattern, explaining a sum on computation of taxable long-term capital gain to students. While a front-bencher reads out the question, lecturer Rajdeep Manwani solves it, narrating the steps one by one. A visitor at the door finally gives away that he’s visually challenged.

Like Rajdeep, coordinator at the faculty of commerce in Jain University and popular quiz master and motivational speaker, there are several visually challenged lecturers in institutions across Bengaluru. Driven by their passion and an inspiration for students, they come up with innovative ways to overcome their disability and impart lessons.

“Necessity is the mother of invention, they say. I practise a lesson for over two hours before class. Both my students and I read from the same textbook. So I ensure that I give them something more than what’s there in the book. With over 25 years of practice, I can easily memorise even big numbers to help students with sums,” said Rajdeep. He takes students’ help to mark attendance, write down sums on the board and go to the staffroom.
Prof N Dasharath, head of department at University Law College, Bangalore University, said: “I memorise students’ names and their backgrounds, whether they are from Kannada or English medium, and their strengths and weaknesses. I try to make the class as participatory as possible. When it comes to evaluation, I take the help of a colleague who reads out the answers and I mark papers accordingly.” A professor for over 25 years, Dasharath suffers from retinitis pigmentosa, which has led to constant degeneration of his eyesight.
Kalyan C Kankanala, guest faculty at National Law School of India University’s (NLSIU) distance education programme, also employs a similar method. “My classes are normally interactive and discussion driven, and I get to assess student participation based on the nature and extent of their responses, comments, observations and arguments. Most concepts I teach are followed by example fact patterns, which require students to apply the concept they’ve learnt and respond. Based on how they respond to questions and fact patterns, I get to know how effective the class is,” explained Kalyan, who’s also a senior partner at an IP law firm, BananaIP Counsels.
While most of these teachers believe no other profession can touch as many lives as teaching, adding that it creates empathy and compassion among students, they feel more institutions need to open up to differently abled teachers.
Need for more inclusiveness
As of now, most premier institutions are circumspect about hiring persons with blindness. Things have changed compared to 10 years ago but there’s still a long way to go. Premier institutions like IIMs, IITs and National Law Schools don’t have too many persons with disabilities as teachers and their policies have to change a little before they are compliant with the Right of Persons with Disabilities Act. If one can creatively overcome the hurdles posed by her/his disability, teaching is a very good profession to choose. I believe inclusiveness can be improved with effective education and enforcement
Kalyan C Kankanala, guest faculty, NLSIU distance programme