White sticks used by the visually impaired to help them get about have had a hi-tech makeover, with a "smart cane" that doesn't just detect obstacles but can also give users information about the shops and restaurants they are passing.

The device is the brain-child of Kursat Ceylan, a Turkish inventor who was born blind and had an accident three years ago that left him scarred as he struggled to navigate while pulling luggage and checking GPS directions through his smartphone.

RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: “I do not want to sit in my office chamber and speak something. I want to mingle with people to know their problems. I know my limitations, but I am confident of overcoming all the challenges,” said Katta Simhachalam, Sub-Collector of Rampachodavaram Revenue Division. The 31-year-old visually challenged IAS officer took charge as the Sub-Collector of Rampachodavaram on Saturday. The very next day of assuming office, he visited Indukurupeta, a Polavaram submergence village in Devipatnam mandal, and interacted with local people to know their problems.

The National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), a leading cross-disability non-profit organisation, on Saturday announced a three-year scholarship for differently-abled youths for a career in the development sector.

The NCPEDP has joined hands with the Azim Premji Foundation for this initiative which will begin from September, the NGO said in a statement.

Digital education resources must be perceivable, operable, understandable and robust: Centre

The Education Ministry has laid down new guidelines for producing digital education resources for children with disabilities, after a year in which the COVID-driven shift to online education has spotlighted the lacunae in such resources. However, the PDF document containing the guidelines does not even follow its own rules, making it partially inaccessible to the visually challenged, says an activist, raising concerns about effective implementation.
 

The life of the visually impaired has been improved greatly with the use of the WeWalk smart cane.

Designed by a start-up with offices in London and Istanbul, the smart cane can warn the user of obstacles, provide navigation assistance and information on public transportation.

WeWALK acts as a new handle when attached to any long cane and was designed to feel natural, allowing for normal cane usage.