The Blind and Disabled Welfare Centre at Faculty of Arts

In the framework of the national aim which the state is trying hard to accomplish in all fields, in order to reach a high level of services offered by the state and consequently to elevate the society, universities come as one of the state responsible personnel’s priorities and interests. The purpose is to improve the services and scientific care offered to students and to spread higher education so as to elevate the society. Spreading higher education and opening science fields for all people have resulted in enrolment of a new category of students that we have not recognized before in such a great number.
This category is special needs students. The number of this category has started to increase annually, from late seventies to early eighties, especially after some decrees from the Supreme Council of Universities. Those decrees have facilitated student enrollment at universities and allowed blind students, who graduated from “Al-Nor wa Al-Amal” (meaning Light and Hope) schools, to enroll at Faculties of Arts, Law and Dar Al Uloom without any conditions regarding the total degrees in general secondary certificate.
Afterwards, there has been a decree from the Supreme Council of Universities to allow disabled students to enroll at Faculties of Arts, Commerce and Law also without any conditions regarding the total degrees in general secondary certificate. Thus, thanks to the state that this category of the society has become allowed to continue their university study and education. Those decrees have facilitated their education and encouraged them to continue it because they have special circumstances which may not help them to get the qualifying degrees. It is not to underestimate their scientific abilities but their circumstances may not help them to study if the required capabilities, that facilitate studying different sciences, are not available. We have found out this fact when we dealt with those students.
After their circumstances and needs were considered, we saw that it is necessary to create a special community for them. This community should facilitate, for disabled students, dealing with university people in order to adapt with society and be energetic individuals who give and take. This will help to overcome the psychological barrier between them and the society and to utilize their abilities and talents to serve the society after graduation from university. Consequently, Tanta University has been leader in this field and established a Centre for scientific and social care of blind and disabled students. To give this Centre an official entity and a valid framework inside the executive, administrative and financial body of the University, a financial and administrative bylaw has been prepared for the Centre. This bylaw has been ratified by the Ministry of Finance.
A financial and administrative bylaw was prepared for the Centre. It was ratified by Ministry of Finance after the decree about establishing this Centre had been issued by the Supreme Council of Universities, in its session No. 318 held on July 25, 1989. The Centre was considered a special unit, according to the executive bylaw of universities act No. 49 of 1972, the last paragraph of article 307. The financial and administrative bylaw of the Centre was ratified by the Ministry of Finance from December 17, 1991.

Center Objectives
o To offer experience in the field of the blind and disabled care with speedy and flexible procedures that suit circumstances of the disabled and achieve decentralization in management so as to accomplish development and reach objectives fast through reducing work steps.
o To help the university achieve its mission in the field of educating blind and disabled students, training them, removing the obstacles that encounter them. The purpose is to enable them to follow up the normal students via offering them scientific and academic help, replacement apparatus and artificial limbs.
o To disseminate awareness in society, to offer preventive services and to speak about the danger of diseases and causes that result in disabilities, in order to give protection and treatment in the correct time.
o To help the disabled utilize their abilities to work and produce, to open new careers for them through training in modern technological scientific means and to increase their productive efficiency in various fields so that the disabled can be productive members in society.
o To conduct scientific researches which aim to solve the problems encountered by these students inside the University in particular and inside the society in general.
o To foster scientific, cultural and social relations among the University, other universities, scientific and social bodies, institutions and different modern technological corporations so as to serve this category of special needs persons.

The Center Services for Blind Students
A. In the Field of Scientific Care
o To offer Braille Library and Braille printers for these students
o To get the help of people, who are doing the public service duty, to read and record lectures for them in specific halls at the Centre.
o To offer the required tape recorders for them so as to record their lectures.
o At the Centre, there are devices to copy tapes to be able to copy them fast.
o At the Centre, there is "Apollo" and "Eye-tacon” devices for students with weak eyesight. These devices magnify words so that these students can study their lectures.
o To get persons to write for them in exams.

B. In the Field of Social Care
o To offer them places for residence in University Hostel.
o The Centre pays all fees of University Hostel.
o The Centre’s microbus transfers students from and to the Hostel after their lectures.
o To present University Books and financial subsidy for these students, from the Centre and the University.
o The Ministry of Social Affairs disburses a monthly financial subsidy of 30 pounds to each blind student as long as he or she is at the University.
o The Centre prepares recreational, social, cultural, sport and trips programs for these students so that they can merge with society.