Students of a government girls’ school in Jharia on Monday had a first-hand experience of how it feels to be visually and physically challenged.

As part of the two-hour sensitisation programme, 70 students from classes 1 to VIII of KC Girls’ School were made to hold pens in between their toes or teeth and write to make them understand the difficulties faced by those without arms. The students were also made to walk blindfolded with their lunch boxes and water bottles acting as obstacles.

The workshop was conducted by a group of teachers of Jharia-based resource centre for the physically and mentally challenged children.

“We will be organising similar workshops in 85 government schools in Jharia. We will be covering two to three schools every day,” Akhlaque Ahmad, special educator at the resource centre said.

Ahmad said the students were provided four sheets of paper each and asked to write their names on all of them using four different ways — once by holding the pen in the right hand, then in the left, followed by leg and mouth.

Anisha Shireen, a Class VI student, said the session helped them to look at the differently-abled students with more empathy and sensitivity.