Saksham has taken the lead in audio describing films for blind viewers in India.
Sucheta Narang writes about the initiative
Like most Indians, persons with blindness or low-vision also watch movies. However, a lot of the story and crucial information in the movie is provided through facial expressions, costumes, ambience, environment and body language. Most such information is lost to persons with blindness; or at best perceived by guesswork based on audio clues.
Built environments are a result of conscious, meditated effort on the part of architects, designers, engineers and the people who fund the structures. If we say that our cities are planned, then the problems faced by visually impaired people are also planned. What will it take to make our cities accessible to visually impaired persons? Salil Chaturvedi explores
Location: Bonn, Germany
Date: May 6, 2006 to May 7, 2006
Organised by: International Paralympic Committe
Carlos Bergfeld; Texas Tech Daily Net; Texas, USA
The world's first portable electronic Braille display is small enough to fit in a pocket and can even be rolled up like a newspaper. The display consists of a sheet of tiny plastic paddles that bend in response to a voltage. It is designed to connect to a cell phone or laptop, and could also replace the liquid crystal screen of an ordinary personal digital assistant (P.D.A.).
home.businesswire.com; Atlanta, U.S.A
Southern LINC Wireless, an Atlanta-based company, announced that it is offering ‘Enhancements for the Visually Impaired’ (E.V.I.) software for Motorola's i355 phone.
www.fonix.com; Salt Lake City, U.S.A.
The Fonix Speech Group, an operating division of Fonix Corporation, announced the availability of Fonix DECtalk text-to-speech on screen reading software by Code Factory, a major producer of assistive software for handheld devices in the European and Asian markets.
Ivette M.; www.sun-sentinel.com; Florida, U.S.A.
A cookery show being aired on television in the U.S.A., ‘Cooking Without Looking’, gives cooking tips and safety measures in the kitchen to blind and visually impaired people. Legally blind chef Mr. Ken Lexer of Boynton Beach, Florida, recently displayed his culinary skills in the show.
www.prnewswire.com; Washington, U.S.A.
As part of World Sight Day celebrations, Special Olympics and Lions Clubs International launched a ‘Global Vision Care Curriculum’ in Hyderabad, India. The curriculum presents state-of-the-art science and clinical practice guidelines for quality diagnostic and vision care services for people with intellectual disabilities, who do not receive regular or appropriate vision care.
www.obsentinel.womacknewspapers.com; North Carolina, U.S.A.
The 2005 North Carolina-Lions ‘V.I.P. Fishing Tournament', an annual event for visually impaired enthusiasts in the U.S.A., attracted over 520 people representing 76 North Carolina counties. This was the event’s 21st year.
One volunteer had been assigned to three participants, to place the worm on the hook and remove the fish caught.
In a campaign launched to mark World Sight Day, Sight Savers International, a U.K.-based charity, aims to track down and save Bangladeshi children in need of cataract surgery.
Since last year, Sight Savers' activities have saved 2,500 children from blindness. The procedure includes two surgeries: one to remove the cataract and a second to implant an intra-ocular lens (I.O.L).
www.indiamonitor.com; Andhra Pradesh
A biologist turned philanthropist, Mr. Chandrasekhar Sankurathri is working to erase blindness among the poor and rural communities of Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh. He strongly believes that most cases of blindness can be cured with proper treatment.
www.navhindtimes.com; Hyderabad, India; October 16, 2005
The President, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, said ‘Vision for all’ should be the national mission, as he launched the second phase of Sight First campaign in Hyderabad on October 15, 2005, as part of the World Sight Day celebrations.
The Hindu; Ballabgarh, Haryana; October 24, 2005
At a 10-day camp in Ballabgarh for disabled people, Haryana Chief Minister Mr. Bhupinder Singh Hooda announced a substantial hike in unemployment allowance for blind people.
The event was organised by the District Red Cross Society, Faridabad, Lions Club International and Bhagwan Mahavira Sahayta Samiti, Jaipur.
The Hindu; Ballabgarh, Haryana; October 24, 2005
At a 10-day camp in Ballabgarh for disabled people, Haryana Chief Minister Mr. Bhupinder Singh Hooda announced a substantial hike in unemployment allowance for blind people.
The event was organised by the District Red Cross Society, Faridabad, Lions Club International and Bhagwan Mahavira Sahayta Samiti, Jaipur.
D.N.I.S. News Network; New Delhi; October 15, 2005
Delhi University will soon set up the Durgabai Deshmukh College which will run a teachers’ training programme for visually impaired students.
The college, which will have four lecturers, one research associate and a librarian, is being funded by the Blind Relief Association (B.R.A.). Preparations towards launching the course include setting up a library with relevant Braille books and talking books.
Star of Mysore; Mysore, Karnataka; October 7, 2005
There are more than 40 million people with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (H.I.V.) or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) worldwide. Nearly 50 to 75 per cent of all such people are affected by loss of vision and ocular complications, one of the most common complications of infection. India, with 5.3 million H.I.V.-affected people, may face a potential epidemic of blindness.
Borne by an unrelenting determination to succeed, L. Subramani has found his ray of light in the apparent darkness, writes Arjun Sengupta.
Born in Salem, Tamil Nadu, L. Subramani had myopia when he was five. Diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa at the age of 15, he was about 17 when he lost his eyesight completely. For many people, chronological medical punctuations like those would be reason enough to call it quits; it would signal a grinding halt, a license to stop trying. But not for Mr. Subramani.
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 New Year issue, people share with us vignettes of parties they have gone to
Dancing the night away
Any time is a good time to buy a gift. But if you are looking for excuses, the New Year is as good an excuse as any you need to splurge for someone special. So, take your pick and make up for the birthday gift you forgot, or simply make your visually impaired friend or loved one happy with these gifts.
TALKS
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