While the world celebrated Helen Keller’s birthday Wednesday, several visually challenged and hearing impaired students in the city are dejected as the free laptops promised by the government for plus-two students have not been given to them yet.
The government allotted Rs 10,200 crore for the distribution of free laptops to plus-two students for five years from 2011.
Mr P. Simmachandran, general secretary of the federation of disabled rights organisations, said though CM Jayalalithaa had announced that disabled persons should be given preference, the officials failed to disburse the laptops.
Mr S. Perumal, principal of the government blind school at Poonamallee, said, “We heard that special software was included in the laptop to help students.
But when we asked the officials, they just told us to wait. Students have already joined college. While other students bring laptops, our children feel dejected.”
When Little Flower convent for the deaf approached the differently-abled welfare department, they were asked to talk to the school education department.
But that department has not received allotment of laptops for deaf children, said Ms Latha, a school staff.
Ms Kannagi Packianathan, secretary of the differently-abled welfare department, assured that laptops would be distributed shortly.