The ninth Round Table Blind People car rally was organised jointly by the Round Table India (R.T.I.) and Blind People's Association (B.P.A.) in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

A feature of this rally was that the route map was given to the participants in Braille just a few minutes before the commencement of the rally. The blind navigators then had to guide the sighted drivers to the destination.

The challenge was to read the route map perfectly and enable the drivers to reach the finish line on time.

The 8-hour rally started from the B.P.A. premises, taking the participants through the busy streets of the city and countryside, covering a distance of nearly 80 kilometres in total and returned to the starting point. There were 13 marshal points, which the participants had to reach on time. Details of speed and time taken to cover the distance by each participating team were then fed to special computer software to decide the winners.

Burhamuddin, an ecstatic participant said: “This was real enjoyment and I think one can do anything provided you have a strong will.”

This year’s event saw some new additions such as the participation of a women's team. The driver and the blind navigators were women. Bela Shah, a visually impaired contestant exclaimed: “I am very excited and getting a feeling as if I am driving the car on my own!”

This time the rally also saw usage of sign language for those participants who were deaf-blind.

The rally showcased about 80 cars from all across Gujarat, and left the audience spellbound.

Bhusan Punani, executive director of B.P.A. said, “The objective was to promote co-ordination, friendship and understanding between blind and sighted participants. It also promotes the view that blind people are capable of doing everything provided they are given the chance.”