Current Style: Standard

Current Size: 100%

What’s New

Kolkata pandal offers divine ‘touch’ to visually impaired

Fri, 07/20/2012 - 16:31 -- admin

Dibyendu (Debu) Adhikari is excited about his holidays. He would return home from his hostel (Kolkata Blind School) after three months for his Puja vacation. Puja for this 10-year-old is synonymous with good food, a couple of new clothes, dhaks (traditional drums, used especially during auspicious occasions in Bengal), bells and conch sounds. For him, his elder brother is indispensable during these five days of festivity. “Mejda (his elder brother) takes me around each pandal and describes every detail — the lighting, décor, goddess etc,” he said.

Fee waiver for disabled in Kendriya Vidyalayas

Fri, 07/20/2012 - 16:30 -- admin

Kendriya Vidyalaya students with disabilities can now avail of free education in keeping with the provisions of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 (PWD Act).

A decision to this effect was taken by the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) on Thursday.

According to a notification issued by KVS, students with disabilities would be exempted payment of tuition fee and the contribution towards Vidyalaya Vikas Nidhi from this month onwards.

Blind student wins fight to take exam

Fri, 07/20/2012 - 16:29 -- admin

A visually-impaired law student has finally won his battle against the Mumbai University after almost two years of perseverance. Amar Jain, a second year law student, refused to use a writer for his exams after a couple of bad experiences in the past. Well-versed in computers, Jain insisted on attempting his papers online in stead. However, the University rulebook did not permit any such liberty for a handicap student. After pursuing for almost two years, the controller of examination finally granted him the permission on Friday.

One shot of gene therapy and children with congenital blindness can now see

Fri, 07/20/2012 - 16:28 -- admin

Born with a retinal disease that made him legally blind, and would eventually leave him totally sightless, the nine-year-old boy used to sit in the back of the classroom, relying on the large print on an electronic screen and assisted by teacher aides. Now, after a single injection of genes that produce light-sensitive pigments in the back of his eye, he sits in front with classmates and participates in class without extra help. In the playground, he joins his classmates in playing his first game of softball.

Five disabled to be awarded by Guv

Fri, 07/20/2012 - 16:27 -- admin

Five disabled persons of the city selected by the state government for their outstanding contribution in various fields would be awarded a special prize by the state governor on World Handicapped Day on December 2.

Informing this, district handicapped officer, KK Mishra said that Arun Kumar presently working in the office of general manager, Telecom is heading the list. This deaf and dumb person has won many awards in state level handicapped volleyball championship.

Blind-friendly library

Fri, 07/20/2012 - 16:26 -- admin

In a few days from now, even the visually challenged would be able to saunter into the District Central Library, Karur, and savour books designed for them and stored there through the medium of computers. In a pioneering move, the library here is all set to welcome the visually challenged visitors by becoming a blind-friendly library. The proposal that had been under consideration for sometime got a boost with Collector J. Uma Maheswari deciding to grant some funds.

11th N.C.P.E.D.P. Shell Helen Keller Awards announced

Fri, 07/20/2012 - 16:25 -- admin

The winners of the much coveted N.C.P.E.D.P. Shell Helen Keller Awards for 2009 have been announced. This is the 11th edition of these awards instituted by National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (N.C.P.E.D.P.), to honour individuals and organisations who have been working towards promoting equal opportunities and providing gainful employment for persons with disabilities. The Awards will be given on December 2 in New Delhi.

CUP partners up with Indian sight charity

Fri, 07/20/2012 - 16:24 -- admin

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.

Flexible solar cell implant could restore vision

Fri, 07/20/2012 - 16:23 -- admin

The first flexible retinal implant could restore some vision to people with certain forms of visual impairment.

Conditions such as age-related macular degeneration occur when some of the photoreceptors in the eye stop functioning properly. But as other parts of the eye still work, it should be possible to restore vision using an implant that mimics the photoreceptor layer, says Rostam Dinyari at Stanford University in California.

To achieve this, an implant needs to convert a light signal into an electrical pulse – in other words, perform like a solar cell.

Blind call for legal action against PNB

Fri, 07/20/2012 - 16:22 -- admin

The bank is allegedly flouting RBI norms

 

Led by Punjab National Bank most banks in Delhi are flouting norms issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) pertaining to visually impaired people’s accessing banking services.

Registering their protest against the discriminative and unfriendly behaviour meted out to them, some visually impaired people have called for a legal action against the bank.

New technology is making Braille redundant

Fri, 07/20/2012 - 16:20 -- admin

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.

Govt to amend ‘Disability Act’ to improve life of differently abled

Fri, 07/20/2012 - 16:18 -- admin

Government will bring an amendment in the Disability act in the coming budget session of Parliament to improve the lot of the differently abled. A draft of the amendment is ready with the social justice ministry. This was disclosed by the social justice Minister Mr. Mukul Wasnik at function in New Delhi to commemorate the 201 birth anniversary of Louis Braille.

The day is being observed through out the world as Braille day. The minister said that the procedure of giving grant to NGO's working for the betterment of blind is being simplified.

Blind to read news on Braille's B'day

Fri, 07/20/2012 - 16:16 -- admin

On January 4, Bangalore will celebrate the birthday of Louis Braille, the creator of the script for the blind with the rest of the world. Doordarshan Kendra will be observing this day in a unique way, Kannada News will be presented by visually challenged persons trained in Braille script.

Braille Script consists of six dots that are raised.

These six bumps are in different patterns, like constellations, spreading out over the page. They consist of numbers, letters, words.

Equal insurance benefits for differently-abled

Fri, 07/20/2012 - 16:14 -- admin

Ministry of Communication and Information Technology would take a decision shortly with regard to the extra premium paid by the disabled employees

The Central Government Wednesday informed the Delhi High Court that equal benefits for postal life insurance will be provided to the differently-abled government employees with a maximum limit of Rs 5,00,000.

Computer centre for visually challenged opened

Fri, 07/20/2012 - 16:11 -- admin

A computer training centre for visually challenged students was inaugurated in the city on Monday.

This computer training institute was established by the Milton Charitable Foundation with assistance from the Ganjam district administration. Its inauguration coincided with the birth anniversary of Louis Braille. The inauguration ceremony was attended by the Ganjam district Collector, V.K.Pandian, Berhampur Sub-Collector, Ajit Mishra, Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahy etc.

Three-month courses

Musical talent-visual impairment link

Fri, 07/20/2012 - 16:08 -- admin

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.

Near blind girl scores 91.5 per cent in Class 12 exams

Fri, 07/20/2012 - 16:08 -- admin

With just 2 per cent vision in both her eyes, Aditi Shah did not let her impairment come in the way. She scored 91.5 per cent in Maharashtra's HSC (Class 12, junior college) exams.

"I was expecting to score below 90 per cent. But when I heard I scored close to 92 per cent, I didn't know how to react," an elated Aditi said.

Born sighted, Aditi was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a disease which results in progressive loss of vision, when she was 10.

Pages

Facebook comments

Subscribe to What’s New