General

The new non-accessible two rupee coin

The new stainless steel coin can be easily mistaken for a one-rupee coin, as it is round in shape and does not have sharper edges like the old two rupee coin. The new coin has the number '2' boldly embossed on one side and a symbol for 'Unity in Diversity' on the other.

When handed the new two-rupee coin, Shanti Gawde, a blind woman who sells pass covers at Andheri Station (Mumbai) said in disbelief, "No it can't be, I think you have given me a one rupee coin."

A unique photo show that goes beyond sight

In a first-of-its-kind programme, ‘Blind With Camera’, nine visually impaired persons learnt the art of photography. They captured sounds, voices, smells and touches through the camera.

The exhibition of those photo shots titled ‘Beyond Sight’ was inaugurated by chairman of R.P.G. Enterprises, Harsh Goenka at the Victoria Memorial School for the Blind, Mumbai. The show was held at the National Centre for Performing Arts for public viewing from 17-25 February 2007.

Conference for blind entrepreneurs in U.S.

More than 500 blind business people are expected to take part in this year's National Association of Blind Merchants (U.S.A.) conference on March 7 2007 in Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.

The annual event, known as the Business Leadership and Superior Training conference, or B.L.A.S.T., brings together business and community leaders for speeches, workshops, hands-on training sessions, and networking opportunities.

A mobile library on your phone

Audio books are set to be revolutionised by a tiny card that can store up to five lengthy novels on a phone.The card can be inserted in a mobile phone. So is free from carrying upto six C.D.s for an audio version of a book. The technology, originally developed to store music, will be released this year by Nokia (Finland based mobile phone supplier).

IBM Announces Tool to Help Visually Impaired 'See' Internet Multimedia

The multimedia browsing accessibility tool hasn't been named yet. "Chieko Asakawa, a senior accessibility researcher at IBM who has been blind since the age of 14, spearheaded the development of the new software out of frustration with streaming video," IW says. It was designed at IBM's Tokyo Research Laboratory.

The new multimedia browsing accessibility tool offers people with visual impairment the same multimedia control features sighted people see and operate with a mouse.

ATM machines speak to its customers

Manufactured for the convenience of blind customers, the updated ATM now makes it possible for individuals to hear all options in addition to seeing them.

Installed in Oslo's Nordea bank, the machine is manufactured by Norwegian Association of the Blind and Partially Sighted. Aftenposten quotes official Kristin Ruud, from the organization as saying, "All messages from cash machines used to come via the screen. This has made it impossible for the blind to use the machines."

Binod Behari Mukherjee and his works

Blind artist Binod Behari Mukherjee is remembered as an eminent artist who helped make Santiniketan the most important centre of art in India.

Now his precious pieces of art are displayed at an exhibition at National Gallary for Modern Art, New delhi.

Heard any good movies lately?

Turkey’s visually impaired to get GPS devices

Teddy bear business to help blind women in India

Students and lecturers from the B.A. (Honours) Fashion, Textiles Enterprise course (the University of Portsmouth, U.K), visited the women at ‘The Little flower convent’ (Chennai) to run workshops teaching blind women how to turn their hand-spun cotton into teddy bears, bags, table mats and other household goods. They are about to establish a design and manufacturing company that will create and retail them in the U.K. and in Europe.