General

Sense and sensibility

EAR TO THE GROUND

Pioneering Eye Surgery Network Receives 2008 Gates Award for Global Health

In recognition of its groundbreaking work to prevent debilitating blindness and provide affordable, world-class eye care to the poor, the Aravind Eye Care System, based in Tamil Nadu, India, has won the 2008 Gates Award for Global Health. The 1 million Gates Award—the world's largest prize for international health—honors extraordinary efforts to improve health in developing countries. Founded by Dr. G. Venkataswamy in 1976, Aravind has saved millions of people in India from debilitating blindness.

Helping blocks for handicap

The visually-challenged commuters travelling on Western Railway (WR)will soon find it easy to locate compartment meant for handicaps, asthe administration has decided to fix special chequered blocks on allthe platforms. Earlier,platforms had no indications for the visually challenged to reach thehandicaps’ compartment. Many visually challenged people would countpoles at railway platforms to find their way.

Exhibit on blindness lets you see ... nothing

If you were blind, couldyou navigate your way around a busy city street or distinguish betweena 1 bill and a 50 bill if you were trying to buy a beer at a bar?

These are some of the challenges visitors will face at a20,000-square-foot interactive exhibition coming to Atlantic Stationthis summer.

Special care no longer a challenge

To get a prosthetic limb attached or fix a hearing aid, residents of Dhubri will longer have to travel to Guwahati.

The Dhubri District DisabilityRehabilitation Centre was inaugurated at the district civil hospitalrecently, two years after the project was sanctioned by the ministry ofsocial justice and empowerment.

In January this year, the Centre releasedRs 12.14 lakh, which Bharat Vikash Parishad, an NGO working for thewelfare of disabled people, used to set up the centre.

Conquering ability

An office without a board. Thankfully, I have the right address to fallback on. But I miss the bell at the gate, and hopelessly go up and down the staircase for a while. Finally, a few hard knocks on the basement door receive a response. “George Abraham, is he in?” Well, he is in, at work when the clock strikes nine every morning, I soon learn.

Settling down on a steel chair, I wait for Abraham, sizing up the hall. A few computers, some chairs strewn around, bare walls, a few hands endlessly tap-tapping on the keyboards with headphones on.

UN expert hails Qatar Central Bank initiative

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Disabilities, Sheikha Hessa bint Khalifa bin Ahmed al-Thani, has commended the recent move by the Qatar Central Bank to introduce banknotes which have features to help the visually impaired denominate them.

Northeast’s first "Talking Book Library"

Hari Puttar to be released in special audio form

Filmmakers these days try each and every trick in the book to get maximum audiences to see their films. Now Mirchi Movies, the makers of the children's flick Hari Puttar- A Comedy of Terrors, is doing something which has not yet been attempted in India before. For their upcoming film, the makers have decided to release the film not just in the theatres but also in Audio form in a special DVD which will benefit visually impaired people.

Visually-challenged teacher makes history

T. Siddha Reddy, a visually-challenged teacher in political sciencewill head the Government Degree College at Nandikotkur as itsprincipal. Mr. Reddy is the first visually-challenged to become theprincipal in the State.