UP launches state’s first Braille library at DSMNRU in Lucknow

Uttar Pradesh has introduced its first Braille library with a collection of more than 4,000 books, marking a new step toward expanding access to education for persons with visual impairment, according to an official statement issued on Dec 4.

The facility has been established at Dr Shakuntala Mishra National Rehabilitation University in Lucknow and is aligned with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s emphasis on inclusive education and empowerment of persons with disabilities.

The Braille library operates from the first floor of the Swami Vivekananda Central Library on the university campus.

Vice Chancellor Acharya Sanjay Singh inaugurated the library and earlier paid floral tributes to the statue of Louis Braille on the campus to mark the pioneer’s birth anniversary.

Addressing students, Singh called on those with visual impairment to work toward self-reliance and directed the university administration to ensure access to modern computer training.

He said the Braille script plays a crucial role in enabling visually impaired persons to connect with mainstream education and society.

Minister of State for Backward Classes Welfare and Divyangjan Empowerment Narendra Kashyap said the library houses more than 4,000 academic books developed under the National Education Policy framework.

The books have been published by the university’s Braille press and cover 54 undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

He added that this is the first university in the state to create a structured Braille library section of this scale. A separate reading room with seating for over 150 students has also been set up.

University spokesperson and library in-charge, Prof Yashwant Viroday, said the institution plans to expand the collection to 10,000 books within the year.

In addition to academic material, the library includes novels, plays, biographies, and other literary works.

Viroday said the facility will be open not only to university students but also to visually impaired persons from outside the campus through a membership system. Special, casual, and corporate memberships have been introduced.

Special membership will be available to scholars, researchers, academicians, and Lucknow residents on submission of two address proofs, while guest faculty, retired teachers, and former staff members can also apply by paying the prescribed fee.

Casual memberships will be issued for up to six months, allowing access to library resources on payment of a fee, though book lending will not be permitted for irregular members, the statement said.