Cambridge University Press is to provide free content to an Indian charity, giving millions of readers with a visual impairment access to a range of educational materials.

The academic publisher has signed an agreement with the Daisy Forum of India, a charity for the visually impaired. The Daisy forum turns books into digital content, which can be read aloud by special software in computers and laptops. CUP will allow the organisation to use the content in its books free of charge.

Non-availability of sufficient material is one of the causes for its decline

Modern technology has changed lifestyles; the invasion of new electronic gadgets has now questioned even the relevance of Braille for the blind in the present world.

On the occasion of 201st birth anniversary of Louis Braille, inventor of Braille language, Deccan Herald spoke to few individuals, who work for the blind and asked them about the importance of Braille in a blind person's life.

CHENNAI: The tax-free State budget 2010-2011, presented by Finance Minister K. Anbazhagan in the recently inaugurated Assembly-Secretariat complex on Friday, contained a slew of policy measures for the differently abled.

New research suggests musical talent and vision impairment are closely linked. High-profile and brilliant blind musicians such as Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder and Andrea Bocelli have long caused people to wonder if there is a link between music and blindness.

Now Professor Adam Ockelford, a musician and visiting research fellow at the Institute of Education, London, has some solid evidence.

He and his research team surveyed and visited visually impaired children who had been premature babies, at home and at school.

She travels 85 km from her village to Bhopal to study for her blind daughter’s sake, spending Rs 250, every day — a huge amount for an underprivileged family like hers. But 29-year-old Govind Kunwar does not mind because her efforts are helping her daughter reclaim her confidence and live with dignity.

Kunwar, a woman with normal vision, is learning Braille so that she can help daughter Anita (7) cope with her studies.