General

With a clear vision

Last month, the India Post of Sightsavers completed 50 years in the country, marking the occasion by releasing "Vision of Hope" – A special publication and unveiling the 50 Year History Wall. A global development organisation that operates across 30 countries and works towards eliminating avoidable blindness and support people with visual impairments, Sightsavers India was founded by Sir John Wilson.

Excerpts from an interview with R. N. Mohanty, CEO, Sightsavers India:

Tell us about the journey and the growth Sightsavers India has had so far.

Sarthak Kaushal Vikas Kendra to offer training, jobs to the disabled

Sarthak Educational Trust, a Delhi based NGO working towards training and employment of persons with disability, with the support of Department of Social Security Women and Child Development, Government of Punjab, is extending their services to people with disability in Ludhiana.

No sight, no problem: Hands can hit what eyes can’t see

RIO DE JANEIRO:

Being in a fight with an invisible attacker may sound like a nightmare for most. But Christella Garcia, a medal-winning, blind Paralympian judoka, says it’s ‘wonderful’.

“It makes perfect sense,” Garcia told AFP right after defeating Brazil’s Deanne Almeida for bronze in the over 70kg category in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday.

Garcia, who has been almost completely blind from birth, said that out on the judo mat, where opponents try to outwit, unbalance and throw each other, her disability no longer matters.

When a cop brought cheer to visually-challenged players

It was 2.30 pm on Sunday and blind cricketers from Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir who had come to participate in the two-day maiden T-20 tournament in Jalandhar were standing in scorching heat for over two hours at the Punjab Armed Police Cricket Ground, waiting for a local politician to come and give away prizes to them.

Career counselling for the visually impaired

A meeting to create awareness of the importance of technology, parental and career counselling for the visually impaired at the Vidivelli Special School on Karur Bypass Road concluded on Sunday.

“The term assistive technology for the visually impaired is a misnomer, because all technology and gadgets are in essence meant to be of assistance to the user, irrespective of the user’s personal ability,” K. Raghuraman, secretary, Karna Vidya Technology Centre (KVTC), Chennai, said.

Blind? You can still donate your cornea

JAIPUR: Visually impaired since childhood, Dinesh Gurjar, who could not himself see the colours of life, donated his eyes, cornea to be more precise, so that others can see after his death, dispelling the myth that a blind person cannot donate his eyes.

Dr Kulwant Gaur, an expert who encourages people to donate their eyes, said, "A blind person can still donate his cornea if he is not corneal blind."

HIMACHAL CM LAYS FOUNDATION STONE OF MODERN CHILDREN HOME AT MASHOBRA

Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Wednesday laid the foundation stone of the Modern Children Home (Adarsh Balika Grih) at Mashobra in Kasumpati assembly constituency to cost `8 crore.

The children home besides having hostel for around 100 such children will also have other amusement facilities including indoor games.Singh directed the officials for early completion of the project and said that he would inaugurate the same on 1st June 2017.

Why does the women's rights movement marginalise women with disabilities?

Civil law in Pakistan permits men to have up to four wives but Noori, a visually impaired woman, married into a family where the preference is for one. Nonetheless, Noori’s husband remarried because she had a disability.

Kasturi, an Indian girl with polio, wants to marry but her mother believes no one will have her because she will probably be unable to take care of the house.

BRAILLE-ENABLED EVMS FOR NEXT ASSEMBLY ELECTION

Every citizen of the country, including one with special needs, has the right to cast votes. Now even the blind would cast votes in the forthcoming Assembly elections. And this is thanks to the Braille enabled EVMs that has been introduced in accordance with the order of the Election Commission. The district administration has geared up to streamline the assured facilities for the disabled.

'Life is extremely difficult for disabled people in this city'

RIO DE JANEIRO: For sports fan Heitor Luiz de Menezes, the 2016 Olympics should have been a dream come true. The 44-year-old from Rio had tickets to several events including the opening and closing ceremony at the historic Maracana stadium.

But after difficulties getting to and from the venues in his wheelchair, he gave up.

From the excessively steep access ramps at the football stadium to the disabled parking spaces that had been reserved for official cars at the beach volleyball arena, the lack of mobility provision was an insult too far.