At the National Judo Championship held between February 25 –26, 2006 in Mumbai, 30 students of ‘Happy Home and School for the Blind’, Mumbai demonstrated that judo wasn’t something, which they took up just for kicks.

A state-of-the-art eye care centre that would house facilities; equipment and expertise related to eye care under one roof has been inaugurated at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh.

The centre has 100 beds and eight operation theatres. In extension to the already existing department of ophthalmology, which started working in 1962, the advanced eye care centre would work as a tertiary centre with special focus on prevention and control of blindness.

El Alma en Las Manos or ‘The Soul in the Hands’, a tactile exhibition by contemporary Mexican sculptors opened on March 9, 2006 at Zerum museum at San Francisco, U.S.A.

The exhibition seek to bring blind children closer to the world of visual art had 22 pieces of tactile sculpture from Mexico.

The exhibition was organised in collaboration with Consulate General of Mexico, the Mexican National Council for Culture and Arts, ‘Zerum’- a multimedia arts and technology museum, and non-profit organisation ‘LightHouse for the blind and visually impaired people’, U.S.A.

International Computer Driving License (I.C.D.L.) curricula will be available in an accessible format to visually impaired persons in United Arab Emirates by the end of year 2006.

The world's first Arabic Braille I.C.D.L. courseware has been developed by I.T. Education Project (I.T.E.P.) and ‘Tamkeen’- the training centre for visually impaired people.

Its compact, portable and ergonomic design makes it extremely user-friendly. The newly designed wireless Braille keyboard incorporates bluetooth technology along with infra-red wireless technology. It enables visually impaired people to use the communication interface with a number of current appliances and devices, such as personal computers, P.D.A.s, pocket P.C. or mobile cell phones.

The wireless Braille keyboard has been designed by ‘Robotiker-Tecnalia’ (Spain) for O.N.C.E. (the Spanish National Association for the Blind).

The device will be on sale shortly.

Penny Hall's sensitive fingers are her eyes. As a massage therapist, she uses those fingers to good advantage. "I thoroughly enjoy my work," says Hall, 63, who has been in the field since 1998.

Hall is blind but that’s no disability for her. In fact, some of her clients are thankful that she's blind because they are self-conscious about their bodies, she said. But regardless of the shape of the person on the massage table, Hall's first concern is comfort.

The book gives readers a glimpse into the lives of some extraordinary teenagers who share their perspectives on issues related to growing up with visual impairment.

The twelve authors are aged between 13 to 19 years. Their book is a compilation of introspective writings. It speaks about concerns that they feel are most important to them. These are, namely, independence, inclusion, intelligence, inspiration, idealism and imagination.

Warren Logan’s hands skim the 15-century marble bust, tracing the lifeless eyes, the slightly agape mouth, the precisely chiselled fur.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art’s (Kansas City, U.S.A.) new touch tour is among programmes at more than 100 museums in the country that attempt to do what once was thought impossible - making art accessible and even visible to visually impaired people.

Blind sailor Alison Gunn successfully completed her solo voyage around the Isle of Wight (U.K.). Alison, 39, undertook her challenge on a 17 feet trimaran to raise money for Lymington Sailability, a U.K. based voluntary organisation that gives disabled people the chance to sail. Her husband Keith and friends were in a support boat to guide and encourage her.