National Institute for the Empowerment of the Persons with Visual Disabilities (Divyangjan)

The National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (Divyangjan), is a premier Institute in visual disability working under the administrative control of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. The Institute is committed to promoting the rights and dignity of persons with visual impairments. To achieve this laudable objective, the Institute produces trained manpower for providing quality education, vocational training and rehabilitation services to visually impaired persons.It also undertakes research and developmental activities ensuring the emergence of disability-inclusive policies, programmes and practices. Its R&D activities have contributed several useful tools and enabling technologies for equal participation by visually impaired persons from different walks of life.The Institute is the largest producer and distributor of Braille literature and devices in the country including talking books.The NIEPVD has its Headquarters at 116, Rajpur Road, Dehradun with one Regional Centre at Chennai (Tamil Nadu) established in 1988 and two Regional Chapters at Kolkata (W.B.) and Secunderabad (Andhra Pradesh) established in the year 1997. These Chapters provide peripheral services and are being served by a small component of Officers and Staff transferred from the Headquarters, whereas, Regional Centre at Chennai is a full-fledged Institute with a staff strength of 30 headed by a Regional Director. The Institute also coordinates and supervises Composite Regional Centre for Persons with Disabilities, Sundernagar (H.P.) established in 2001.