General

Activist Pleads for Better Education for Deafblind

Zamir Dhale deftly opened his laptop and set up his PacMate as he prepared for a conversation. The PacMate (a Braille device) is just one of many ways with which he can communicate with others, scribbling on the palms being one of his favourites.

A leading activist for the deafblind in the country, 38-year-old Zamir is best known for training the likes of Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukherjee Chopra in tactile sign language for the acclaimed movie ‘Black’.

3-D Printing Enables Visually Impaired Children to Experience the World of Literary Classics

In the past year, 3-D printing has been experiencing major breakthroughs, and it promises even greater strides in the fields of sustainability, technology and medical research. Yet the technology is currently being pioneered for another purpose: to help visually impaired children understand the fantastical worlds depicted in classic literary works such as Goodnight Moon and Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?

WIPO Copyright Committee In Disarray Again; Development Dimension Questioned

For the second time this year, the World Intellectual Property Organization copyright committee could not agree on the conclusions of its session or on any recommendation to be made to the September General Assembly on the protection of broadcasting organisations or the establishment of an international regime of exception and limitations for libraries and education.

For Your Eyes Only

Tiffany Maria Brar, is one of the speakers scheduled to deliver a motivational speech at a seminar for visually challenged persons. Much before the commencement of the programme, a sprightly young woman in her mid-twenties is present at the venue. She is greeted by the organisers and led to her seat. She came on her own. Though she is visually-challenged by birth, lone trips in a public transport bus are not new to her. From the bus station, she flips to places where she has to go.

Music is his window to the world

Music is his way of seeing the world. Sudhindra R, who's visually impaired by birth, has mastered the art of playing seven musical instruments, ranging from the mouth organ to snake charmer's flute. And all of it without a teacher to hand-hold him.

Make 'Talking Books' Available for Sightless

India has become the first country to ratify the Marrakesh Treaty to facilitate access to published works for the visually impaired. The treaty requires signatories to adopt national law provisions that facilitate the availability of published works in formats like Braille that are accessible to the blind and allow their exchange across borders by organisations working for the visually impaired. The Indian Copyright Act, 1957, did not have any provision for the conversion and distribution of books in accessible formats for such persons.

Have Will, Will Fly

It seems there’s not a thing Divyanshu Ganatra has not thought through. Yet, instead of being on edge, he’s light and breezy—just as he was on his April 30 paragliding flight, which created national history. Ganatra become the first visually challenged Indian to fly solo as a paraglider.

HC reserves order on implementation of handicapped quota

The Delhi High Court today reserved its order on a plea seeking directions to government bodies to implement the orders of the apex court to provide three percent quota in jobs to differently-abled persons.
A bench of chief justice G Rohini and Justice R S Endlaw concluded the hearing on the petitions filed by the NGO, National Federation of The Blind, which accused the Centre of not providing legitimate employment rights to differently- abled persons.

Arrunga Men’s Shed is modifying a table tennis table for a visually impaired version called Swish

THE gentlemen at the Arrunga Community Men’s Shed in Ermington do an extraordinary job of fixing and creating, but their latest job is one with a difference.

They are modifying a table-tennis table so that it can be used by blind and vision-impaired people for their own version of table-tennis called swish.

Swish also allows vision-impaired and sighted people to play on almost equal terms.

A swish table is about 60cm longer than a regular table-tennis table and the net is actually a wall.

Blind lead the way in brave new world of tactile technology

Imagine feeling a slimy jellyfish, a prickly cactus or map directions on your iPad mini Retina display, because that’s where tactile technology is headed. But you’ll need more than just an index finger to feel your way around.