General

Calgary Transit looking to provide ‘tactile maps’ for riders with vision loss

Calgary is seeking a “design and prototype” of tactile-map technology to help people with visual impairments navigate the city’s transit system.
“We’re looking for something that can be handheld, easily distributed through our customer-service centre, and potentially through the CNIB,” said Chris Jordan, manager of strategic planning with Calgary Transit.
The idea came from citizen feedback during the city’s RouteAhead transit planning process.

Microsoft’s smart ‘Alice band’ could help visually impaired navigate outside

Microsoft is working with charity Guide Dogs for the Blind, to develop a Google Glass-like wearable that will help the visually impaired get around in crowded places including the public transport.
As reported by The Daily Mail, the device resembles the Alice Band and uses an earpiece for navigation instructions. It works by bouncing information from sensors mounted on any item such as buildings or train carriages to a receiver in the wearer’s headband. The user is able to receive personalised instructions, such as how to get to the airport on time if a train is delayed.

India's top B-schools go the extra mile to help the differently abled students

He often mixes up 'who' with 'how'. And, when asked for directions, he needs to look at the hand with which he eats to point towards the right direction. Apoorv Agarwal is dyslexic and has just made it to Indian Institute of Management, Raipur, acknowledging his disability for the first time during his interview there.

"Because of high content of lead in my blood, language comprehension gets affected, but I will manage because I need to be an example for my sister," says Agarwal. His ..

12 blind girl students who passed class 7, now have no school to go

Twelve blind class 7 girl students, who passed out from Kamla Mehta Dadar School for the Blind, will not be able to pursue further studies this year. This Marathi medium school has classes only up to class 7.

And for further studies students from this school go to the nearby Saraswati High School at Naigaon (Dadar) where they are provided separate resource teachers along with regular teachers. This year however, Saraswati HS is not enrolling blind students in class 8 as it does not have resource teachers as well as regular teachers to engage this class.

Arun jain: Comprehensive beginning for stable governance in the future

In politics, it takes a great deal of maturity and courage to respect the body of work of a predecessor. In that sense, the NDA government’s budget is reminiscent of Nelson Mandela’s ‘rainbow nation’ philosophy, which adopted continuity in the face of volatile relations. This is a landmark practice for a government.

The tone of the budget was, in my opinion, smart to wise. While carrying on some of the major initiatives of the previous regime, it was able to enhance prospects for key aspects of Indian industry.

Sight saving work

Budget's Braille vision from Modi book?

For blind people, Union Budget 2014-15 presented on Thursday was historic - for the first time, the word 'Braille' was given the importance of being mentioned in a central Budget. The role of a teacher from Gujarat, Geeta Vaghela, who wrote the Braille version of Narendra Modi's book on education, 'Kelve te Kelavanikar', may be behind this sudden impetus given to Braille in the central Budget. The Budget made the provision for 15 Braille presses and Braille-embossed currency. Vaghela had gifted the Braille edition of the book to Modi in 2007, when he was the chief minister.

An attempt to revive oral art forms

The Story Arts Festival, Hyderabad, an initiative by Story Arts India that was formed this year – an organisation that wants to keep alive and also promote oral tradition, an integral part of many Indian cultures, along with Nivashi Publishers was held on July 13 and 14.

Itwas an event that was celebrated with fun and frolic for children aged between 9-15.

Visually challenged welcome decision on notes with Braille

A section of visually challenged people here has welcomed Union finance minister Arun Jaitley's announcement to introduce currency notes with Braille signs. India is home to the world's largest population of visually challenged people — some 20 million.

Meet the retired Mirzas who make the best of HAM radios

In between noting down in Braille about those who have checked in, 72-year-old Perviz Mirza excitedly demands that the walkie-talkie be handed over to her! Though she and her 70-year-old brother, Vispi, take turns to go online on alternate days, excitement welled up when she heard familiar voices on Friday night. They were on the "net", a ritual every active HAM follows every night.