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

The National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (Divyangjan), Dehradun, formerly known as the National Institute for the Visually Handicapped, operates under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. Situated on about 43 acres on the Mussoorie-Dehradun Highway, it serves as a training centre for blind persons and produces Braille literature, aids, and appliances, alongside undertaking research for disability-inclusive policies and practices. Its origins trace to the St. Dunstan's Hostel for Indian War Blinded, founded in 1943, which was taken over by the Government of India in 1950. Subsequent decades saw the establishment of various units—including the Training Centre for the Adult Blind, Central Braille Press, Model School, and National Library for the Print Handicapped—which were integrated in 1967 to form the National Centre for the Blind. This was upgraded in 1979 to become the National Institute for the Visually Handicapped, and registered as an autonomous body under the Societies Registration Act in 1982. The institute maintains a Regional Centre in Chennai (established 1988) and Regional Chapters in Kolkata and Secunderabad (1997), providing rehabilitation and vocational training services across India, and coordinates the Composite Regional Centre for Persons with Disabilities in Sundernagar, Himachal Pradesh, established in 2001.