Scott Malon; Reuters; Cambridge; posted online at
www.indianexpress.com; June 11, 2006
Ms. Elizabeth Godring, a legally blind poet at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) has designed a 'seeing machine' that allows people with limited vision to see faces of friends, or read and study the layouts of buildings they intend to visit.
Maya Sharma and L. Subramani; www.NDTV.com; Bangalore; date?
Gujarat won the 13th 'National Cricket Tournament for the Blind' defeating Haryana in the finals at the Chinaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on March 5, 2006.
The tournament also became a platform to select best players for the national squad that will play the forthcoming cricket World Cup for the Blind to be held in South Africa in December 2006.
Jyothi Venkatesh; Mid Day; Mumbai
Priyesh Jain (aged 33) did not let blindness affect his vision. With the completion of his 45-minute film, 'Roshni', he has arguably become the first blind person to direct a film.
'Roshni', which stars Anant Mahadevan and Reeta Bhaduri, is a plea for global peace, for a world free from nuclear bombs. Jain bases the film on a one-act Hindi play, 'Umeed', which he scripted and directed. "Roshni is a tribute to my parents who never made me feel inferior because of my visual disability," says Jain.
All India Chess Federation for the Blind, Goa
Goa will host the 11th 'World Chess Championship for the Blind', this year. Many Grand Masters and champions are expected to take part in the event.
The tournament will be inaugurated on October 9, 2006, and will end with the felicitation of winners on October 18, 2006. The rounds will be played every day from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. The top eight games will be relayed on the website www.aicfb.org.
Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar; The Hindu; New Delhi
Auto rickshaws in Delhi will have metal plates bearing the registration numbers in both Braille and embossed form on the sides. The step would enable blind passengers to lodge a complaint if the driver misbehaves or refuses to carry them and will also help friends and relatives track a particular auto.
The Hindu; New Delhi
Concerned about the lack of study material for students with visual disability, Miranda House is setting up the Amba Dalmia Resource Centre for Visually Challenged Students.
This centre will have computers with voice-enabled software like JAWS and Kurzweil. It will have networked computers with up-to-date technology to help students and will also house Braille books.
The Hindu; New Delhi
Concerned about the lack of study material for students with visual disability, Miranda House is setting up the Amba Dalmia Resource Centre for Visually Challenged Students.
This centre will have computers with voice-enabled software like JAWS and Kurzweil. It will have networked computers with up-to-date technology to help students and will also house Braille books.
Frankey Fernandes (NDTV); Panjim; June 9, 2006
The smallest state of India has taken a giant step towards equal rights for persons with disability. Goa will now ensure that they have equal and easy access to not just all buildings but also to transport facilities.
www.newkerala.com and www.dnaindia.com; Delhi
'Smart cane', developed by the Indian Institute of Technology (I.I.T.) in consultation with the National Association for the Blind, is a boon for the country's nine million visually impaired people. Besides easy commutation, it will also enable safe exit during an emergency.
Infosys Education World (May 2006 Issue); www.educationworldonline.net
Today, computers have become more accessible due to the use of screen reading software. There is JAWS for Windows from Freedom Scientific, Window-Eyes from GW-Micro, and HAL from Dolphin systems. Of these three, JAWS and Window-Eyes are the two most popular products.
A musical child prodigy, Dr. Dinkar Sharma believes there is no substitute for hard work and sincerity.
In each issue of 'beyond the I', this column presents a first-hand account of a visually impaired person's experiences in the 'real' world. In this issue, Pranay Gadodia recounts a positive encounter at a bank.
The International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (I.C.E.V.I.) is organising its 12th world conference from July 16 to 21, 2006, at Putra World Trade Centre, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The main theme of the conference is 'Achieving equality in education: New challenges and strategies for change'.
At the opening ceremony the Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister will officially launch the Education for All Children with Visual Impairment Campaign and Action Programme.
Location: Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
July 16, 2006 to July 21, 2006
Organised by the International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (I.C.E.V.I.)
By Zukile Majova, www.int.iol.co.za
In South Africa, thousands of Independent Electoral Commission (I.E.C.) staff underwent training on the rights of visually impaired voters before the local government elections. Elections in South Africa were held in March 2006.
United Nations
For the first time, the United Nations will be able to print material directly in Braille. The credit goes to a donation of a state-of-the-art printer by the non-profit organisation, Services for the Visually Impaired, (S.V.I.), U.S.A., along with the World Blind Union (W.B.U.).
Harold Snider, Executive Director, S.V.I., said the high-speed, heavy-duty embosser would provide the U.N. with Braille production capacity in all six of the organisation’s official languages.
By Pongpen Sutharoj, The Nation, Bangkok, Thailand
The National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (Nectec), with the aid of a research team at Prince of Songkla University of Thailand has developed a Braille notebook, which could make life much easier for visually impaired people in Thailand. The notebook consists of a portable computer on which visually impaired users can key in information in Braille. The information can then be printed either in Braille or in text format.
In what can be considered as a break-through, Sandia National Laboratories (U.S.A.) has released a prototype eye-chip that may eventually help to restore sight to blind people.
Reuters
Disabled passengers have won new rights of access to airline travel in the European Union (E.U.). The European Parliament has adopted measures to ensure E.U. airports help disabled travellers.
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