On Tuesday, April 23, 61 blind candidates took the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG)-sponsored 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) organised by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in Enugu center.
The candidates are part of the 577 others who sit for the exams nationwide. Candidates selected from nine states in the southeast and south-south areas which include Abia, Imo, Ebonyi, Enugu, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Anambra and Rivers held their exams at the University of Nigeria Enugu Campus(UNEC).
Those with blindness, autism, down syndrome, and other challenges partake in the exams depending on their condition, they used different writing aids, like brailles, typewriters, and stylos, while others wrote with pens.
Prof. Mosto Onuoha, the coordinator of the UTME Blind Enugu Centre who is also the former deputy Vice Chancellor of UNN and the former president of Nigeria Academy of Science stated that JAMB introduced the Blind UTME programme to help the physically challenged have equal opportunity to learning and achieve their dream of going to any higher institutions.
Since they can’t do computer-based tests (CBT), the questions and the options were read to them while they provide the answers. Their time were also extended.
Prof. Okey Okechukwu, a member of the committee and provost, Federal College of Education (Technical), Isu, Ebonyi State revealed that JAMB provided the candidates with three days of lodging, food, and transportation with the assistance of their guides as he call on more awareness among people with disabilities to enable them access services of the JAMB.
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