DW BUREAU/Shimla Himachal Pradesh University has unfolded a comprehensive policy document covering all the statutory rights of the disabled students. 'The Equal Opportunity Policy for Persons with Disabilities' emphasized on complete empowerment of the disabled students, without discrimination. It talks of establishing a Grievance Redressal Cell for disabled students, teachers and employees. One major relief for the teachers and employees as per the policy document is that their services can never be terminated due to disability. The policy document says that apart from education, the disabled students would be entitled to get equal opportunity in sports, Yoga, library, coaching, skill development and recreation etc. The University would create a barrier- free environment. Teachers and non- teaching employees have also been covered in the policy. Vice Chancellor of HPU, Prof. SP Bansal congratulated the disabled students as HPU has become the first university in the Northern states except Delhi to prepare such a document. This will be strictly implemented and these students would not have to run from pillar to post for their legal rights, he said. Nodal Officer for Disability Affairs Prof. Ajai Srivastava elaborated the contents of the Policy. He said there is a provision of absolutely free education, free hostel, a supernumerary seat in Ph.D in each department every year, five percent reservation in all courses, fully accessible library equipped with talking software for the disabled students. They will get a relaxation of five years in the upper age limit in admission. The visually impaired students will be provided with e-resources. He said the policy has a resolve to promote appropriate augmentative alternative models of communication and formats including computer with talking software, large print, Braille and Indian Sign Language. Library books would be made accessible to visually impaired students through digitization. A pool of scribes would be prepared for those students who can not write due to disability. Till the pool of scribes is prepared, no criteria of educational qualification of scribe shall be fixed. (editor@dailyworld.in)