Ever hear of an application forms for voter-list enrollment in braille? As part of its accessible election drive, the Election Commission (EC) will soon launch braille versions of electoral list related activities including the application form for  enrollment. The measure will be executed on the National Voters’ Day, January 25, in West Bengal’s South Dinajpur district.

In a bid to assist visually impaired people to easily determine denomination of currency notes, the Indian Institute of Technology at Ropar in Punjab has developed an Android App “Roshni”, using image processing and analytics.

The App was launched on Wednesday at the IIT Ropar. Assistant professor Puneet Goyal, said that ‘Roshni’ is the first Android App that works successfully with new currency notes that were released after demonetisation and it works well in broad range of light conditions and holding angles.

Bengaluru: Visually challenged runners will take part in a three-day Mysuru-Bengaluru inter-city run to spreading awareness on holistic development among different strata of the society.

The ‘Ultra Marathon for and by the visually impaired’ will commence from Mysuru on January 23 and conclude at Bengaluru on January 25, after covering a distance of 150 km.
 

According to its organisers Samarthanam Trust, an NGO engaged in empowering the specially-abled to lead dignified lives, the event is first of its kind.

Having run contests for students of architecture, Anita Iyer Narayan, founder and managing trustee, EKansh Trust has now announced in designing adaptive clothing for people with disabilities.

On the concept, Anita shared, “We had run contests for students of architecture earlier. Design impacts our lives. Everything that is not natural is designed by us, and we seem to be oblivious to the needs that are not typical. Fashion design students too have to be sensitised and be able to think out of the box.”
 

Plan likely to be part of interim Budget

Ahead of the 2019 election, the Rural Development Ministry has proposed that the monthly pensions of the elderly poor, disabled and widows be increased from the current ₹200 to ₹800. For those above the age of 80, the proposal is to increase the pension from ₹500 to ₹1,200 a month.

The Ministry has submitted the proposal, which would have an additional annual cost implication of ₹18,000 crore, to the Finance Ministry to be considered for inclusion in the interim Budget to be presented on February 1.

HYDERABAD:  For the first time in Telangana, a contingent of visually challenged students will be participating in a Republic Day parade. A team of 50 visually students - 26 girls and 24 boys - of Nethra Vidyalaya junior and degree colleges have been training for the last few days at  Parade Ground in Secunderabad ahead of their participation in the Republic Day Parade to be held at the same venue later this month.