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Musical talent-visual impairment link

New research suggests musical talent and vision impairment are closely linked. High-profile and brilliant blind musicians such as Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder and Andrea Bocelli have long caused people to wonder if there is a link between music and blindness.

Now Professor Adam Ockelford, a musician and visiting research fellow at the Institute of Education, London, has some solid evidence.

He and his research team surveyed and visited visually impaired children who had been premature babies, at home and at school.

Near blind girl scores 91.5 per cent in Class 12 exams

With just 2 per cent vision in both her eyes, Aditi Shah did not let her impairment come in the way. She scored 91.5 per cent in Maharashtra's HSC (Class 12, junior college) exams.

"I was expecting to score below 90 per cent. But when I heard I scored close to 92 per cent, I didn't know how to react," an elated Aditi said.

Born sighted, Aditi was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a disease which results in progressive loss of vision, when she was 10.

Soon, radio station dedicated to visually-challenged

The visually-challenged could soon get a 24X7 companion in the form of a radio dedicated solely to education and entertainment for the blind. City-based Braillevani Education Radio Group (BERG) has been working on the concept and will approach HRD Minister Kapil Sibal with it in July this year. Once sanctioned, the group said, the project would be functional by the end of the year.

Darkness was no obstacle in this girl’s long trek to success

Even for brisk walkers, it takes a two-day trek from the Solukhumbu district headquarters in Nepal to get to Goma Rai’s village. “The walk is easier in the winter. In the summer, the rains make you slip. The locals do not slip, but I did,” Goma smiles.

Woman learns Braille for daughter

She travels 85 km from her village to Bhopal to study for her blind daughter’s sake, spending Rs 250, every day — a huge amount for an underprivileged family like hers. But 29-year-old Govind Kunwar does not mind because her efforts are helping her daughter reclaim her confidence and live with dignity.

Kunwar, a woman with normal vision, is learning Braille so that she can help daughter Anita (7) cope with her studies.

Retinal Implant Restores Sight

Lighthouse International is participating in an exciting research project that holds great promise for helping people who are blind to see. It is the only FDA-approved, long-term clinical trial of its kind to determine the effectiveness of a new retinal prosthesis — and it is already yielding promising results. We’re not the only ones sharing the great news; CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta reported the story, as did The New York Times.

This prosthetic is a breakthrough in enhancing the vision — and life — of people with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) … people like Barbara Campbell.

Blind scholar, guided by blind teacher, gets PhD

He could not see it, but the thunderous, rapturous applause that will ring in Sanjay Jain's ears for a long time told him that he had earned it. Having just won the longest ovation of the ceremony, Jain stood up modestly, a big smile on his face.

For Jain, who is blind since birth, this was one of his life's best moments. He was awarded PhD in law during the 97th convocation ceremony of Nagpur University on Saturday. Interestingly, Jain's guide was head of law department Shirish Deshpande, who is also blind.

Making it to MIT against odds

Bolla Srikanth was barely few years old when many in his community counselled his parents to abandon him. The pressure was heavy on his illiterate parents, a farmer father and housewife mother, but they never yielded. Had they heeded their advice, the world would have been minus one inspiring story today.

Into management institutes, with visual impairment

Many people who have a disability don't let it prevent them from leading a fulfilling life. They are an inspiration to both disabled and non-disabled people alike. Alpana Dubey, Goma Rai, and Vishal Jain are among the few people who have proven that visual impairment cannot deter them from achieving their goals.

HC seeks details of disabled candidates joining IIMs

The Bombay high court on Monday sought details of the seats reserved for disabled candidates in Indian Institutes of Management across India and the number of such candidates admitted during the current academic year.

Hearing a petition filed by a city-based TYBcom student Rahul Girreddy, who dragged the IIMs to court, a division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice S C Dharmadhikari has given IIM-Ahmedabad time till July 6 to submit the details.

Govt should relax rules for physically challenged: HC

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the government to consider treating physically challenged people at par with SC/ST candidates while granting relaxation in qualifying marks for admission in professional courses. The court asked the government to consider the recommendations of chief commissioner for disabilities who had directed all government-aided institutions to extend the relaxation in qualifying marks to physically disabled candidates in order to bring them at par with SC/ST candidates.

Caroline Casey

Social entrepreneur

Visual impairment : Born legally blind due to ocular albinism

Caroline Casey a former management consultant was born legally blind.

Helen Keller

Social Entrepreneur

Nature of visual impairment : Went blind and deaf due to illness eighteen months after birth.

Born : 27 June 1880

Died : 1 June, 1968

The daughter of Captain Arthur Henley Keller and Kate Adams Keller, Helen was born with full sight and hearing in Tuscumbia, Alabama, U.S. on June 27, 1880 in a white, frame cottage called 'Ivy Green.' Her father was the editor of a newspaper, the North Alabamian.

Joan Brock

Inspirational Speaker

Visual impairment : Macular Degeneration

Born: January 22 1952

Joan Brock is a woman who believes in herself. And the world believes in her too. A belief that has helped her in achieving extraordinary personal goals, overcoming significant hardships in life.

Dr. David Wohlers

Chemist

“I am not the first blind chemist and I am not the only blind chemist, but I am one of the few blind chemists” says Dr. David Wohlers.

Dr David Wohlers is a world renowned chemist. He obtained his Ph.D in chemistry from the Kansas State University, U.S.A., with a specialization in inorganic synthesis and photochemistry—the study of how light alters the chemical properties of a substance.

Sabriye Tenberken

Creator of Braille Script of Tibetan Language

Visual impairment : Blind since the age of 12 due to a retinal disease

Born : 1970

Sabriye Tenberken is a native of Cologne in Germany. When she was 12, a congenital retinal degenerative disease led to loss of sight.

Louis Braille

Inventor

Visual impairment : Became blind at three, due to accident

Born : 4 January, 1809

Died : January 6, 1852

Louis Braille was born January 4, 1809 , in Coupvray , France , a small country village about twenty-five miles east of Paris. He lived with his mother, Monique, his father, Simon-René, his two older sisters, Monique-Catherine and Marie-Céline, and his older brother, Louis-Simon. Their home was a stone cottage in the village.

Kent Cullers

Physicist

Visual impairment : Blind since birth

The elder child of George Cullers, a physicist, and his wife, Wanda, a college administrator, Cullers was born seven weeks prematurely in El Reno, Oklahoma, at a time when it was standard practice to immerse 'preemies' in pure oxygen. Overexposure saved his life but destroyed Cullers' retinas and left him totally blind.

Kerryann Ifill

Senator

“I am not just a blind senator, I am a senator who happens to be blind.” This is what Kerryann Ifill, had to say after she took the oath in February 2008, to become one of the 12 government senators of Barbados. She is the Deputy President of the Senate. She also said it was an honour for her that Prime Minister David Thompson, thought her worthy to sit in the Upper Chamber.

David Blunkett

Former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

Visual impairment : Blind since birth

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