Haleema Sarwar has become the first blind student to graduate from the Nadirshaw Edulji Dinshaw (NED) University of Engineering and Technology (NDUET) in the institute’s 100-year history, the News has reported.
The 30-year-old received her MS Degree in Applied English Linguistics at the university’s 31st convocation on Tuesday.
Sarwar started the MS program in 2018 and would have completed it in two-and-a-half years if not for her father’s death, which became a reason for her to defer a semester.
She explained that the university initially refused to admit her since the linguistics program was only offered in the evening, and it would be difficult for a female student, especially a visually impaired one, to travel to and from the university in the evenings.
Sarwar assured the administration that she would manage to attend her classes in the evening without any special assistance from them; on the university’s insistence, her mother would accompany her to the university as well.
She explained that modern assistive technology is available nowadays that can help disabled people achieve just as much as their peers.
She further expressed that she had wished to teach at mainstream colleges and educational institutions but was refused by the relevant administrations as they assumed that she would be unable to manage the job responsibilities. She explained that she could work just as well as an able-bodied teacher with the help of assistive technology and that what needs to change is people’s perception of those with disabilities.
She also expressed gratitude to her teachers, who motivated her to continue her study. Sarwar now plans to begin her career as a lecturer. She thinks that now that she has a better degree, she could pursue an excellent career.
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