Visually Impaired Students Stranded At UCC

Some visually impaired students at the University of Cape Coast are in limbo as they have no place to lay their heads. The students are part of over 1,500 students resident in the Caseley Hayford Hall that were asked to vacate the hall by the university authorities. The decision of the authorities followed violent clashes between residents of the hall and those of the Atlantic hall. It was precipitated by a misunderstanding arising from hall week celebrations in the university. The stranded visually impaired students and many of the other students have been putting up in obscure corners in the school. They sought refuge in the university’s cafeteria but they were ejected by the authorities who argued the cafeteria is not a place of residence. The university authorities tried to make alternative arrangement for accommodation for the 14 visually impaired but only eight of them could get places. The remaining six are still reeling under the eviction which the students say is harsh. Reports say days of torrential rains have made life unbearable for them. The Vice President of the Association of visually and Physically Challenged students of the university, Mr. Seth Kwame Ativor said a number of their members are stranded. He said even those who have been given places are not finding things easy because some of the rooms allocated to them are too small to contain them. Mr. Ativor said some of the members of the association who had examinations to write on Thursday, April 3, 2008 could not write the exam well under the circumstance.