The Commonwealth of Learning-Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (COL-CEMCA) in collaboration with Vinoba Bhave University (VBU), Hazaribagh, organised a three-day Faculty Capacity Building Workshop on “Mainstreaming Learners with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) in Higher Education” from 25–27 May 2026 at the VBU campus.

The workshop brought together faculty members from VBU and affiliated colleges to build awareness and strengthen inclusive teaching practices for learners with Specific Learning Disabilities such as Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, and Dyspraxia.

Addressing the inaugural session, Prof. Chandra Bhushan Sharma, Vice-Chancellor VBU, announced that Vinoba Bhave University would be developed as a “Centre for Disability Studies” to support the mainstreaming of learners with specific learning disabilities at the school and higher education levels.

Dr. B. Shadrach, Director, COL-CEMCA, New Delhi, delivered the keynote address virtually and called attention to what he termed the “support cliff” — the sudden withdrawal of all academic support the moment an SLD student crosses from school into higher education — arguing that inclusion cannot have an expiration date at Grade 12. “When we fail to support students with SLD in higher education, we are not just failing them legally under the RPWD Act — we are robbing society of unique problem-solvers, out-of-the-box thinkers, and creative leaders,” he said.

He further noted that figures such as Albert Einstein, Agatha Christie, and Richard Branson had all lived with learning disabilities, and cautioned that a university system obsessed with rote learning and flawless handwriting would have filtered them out entirely.

Over three days, faculty members were taken through the full arc of SLD awareness, classroom practice, and institutional action. Day 1 focused on understanding the four key disability types — Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, and Dyspraxia — through conceptual sessions and a hands-on ‘Empathy Lab’ where participants simulated the daily challenges faced by SLD learners.

Day 2 equipped faculty with practical strategies, covering Universal Design for Learning, inclusive assessment adaptations, and live demonstrations of freely available assistive technology tools.

Day 3 brought the workshop to a close with institutional gap-mapping exercises and the drafting of individual Faculty Action Plans, ensuring participants left with concrete commitments for their own classrooms and departments.

The workshop marked a significant milestone in VBU’s journey towards becoming a model for inclusive higher education in Jharkhand and beyond.