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Book released by Odisha Blind Foundation

Wed, 07/18/2012 - 16:40 -- admin

Odisha Blind Foundation (OBF) released a book named ‘Alok Pathara Jatridala' on Friday to commemorate 44{+t}{+h}death anniversary of Louis Braille.
This book was released at a function organised on the premises of the only Braille press in Odisha, functioning in the city. It is the third book published by the OBF to make general public know about social activists of the world and our country who have played a major role to attach the visually impaired to the mainstream. The other two books published by the OBF in the past were related to lives of Louis Braille and Helen Keller.

Blind musicians lose their fear of the dark

Wed, 07/18/2012 - 16:38 -- admin

Growing up in northern Iran, Fereshteh Khosroujerdy loved to sing. Everyone who heard her voice in the streets would hug and kiss her and tell her how beautiful it was. Everyone, that is, except her strict Muslim parents, who warned her that if they caught her singing in public – forbidden for women – they would douse her in petrol and set her alight. "It is very difficult to be born a girl," she said, "and it is disastrous to be born a girl and blind."
 

Metro rail readies facilities to benefit differently-abled

Wed, 07/18/2012 - 16:29 -- admin

Perhaps, other state undertakings like TSTC, MTC and Railways can take a cue from Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) in considering the needs of the differently-abled while designing projects for public utility. The amenities proposed in ongoing metro project would definitely be a benchmark, if CMRL were to translate them into reality.
Among the long list of amenities proposed for metro stations are dedicated parking space (subject to space availability) and tactile tiles to access functional areas and platforms and non-slippery floors.

Washout gives England 2-0 win

Wed, 07/18/2012 - 16:27 -- admin

The last game of the Twenty20 series between the England and Australia Visually Impaired cricket teams was washed out at Feckenham CC, meaning a 2-0 England victory.
 
Following the same fate for the first match on Sunday, the hosts won both legs of a double-header yesterday at Leamington CC to take revenge for Australia’s 3-0 one-day whitewash.
 
Luke Sugg, England captain for the T20 rubber, said: "I'm delighted to win the T20 series. There have been some excellent contributions throughout both series.
 

DU: Number of disabled applicants up this year

Wed, 07/18/2012 - 16:25 -- admin

Delhi University seems to be getting a better response from differently-abled aspirants this year. At least 71 students with special needs have already registered for admission in DU colleges over last two days. A DU official said they were excited about the increasing number of such applicants. They assured that all possible facilities were being provided to them.

Education act monitor set up

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

The school education department has constituted a seven-member regulatory body to ensure that the provisions of the right to education (RTE) act are followed in all schools, including private ones.
The Right to Education Protection Authority, headed by retired high court judge Sadhan Gupta, would look into allegations such as schools taking donation during admission, holding admission tests instead of drawing lots and punishing students physically, said school education minister Bratya Basu after announcing the formation of the regulatory body.

Mobile innovations for persons with disabilities require increased spectrum

Wed, 07/18/2012 - 16:18 -- admin

Technology has transformed many aspects of modern life, including how many people communicate, learn, work, and play. From distance learning to telecommuting, technology affords people increased convenience and productivity. But for persons with disabilities, technology offers much more than that—it also allows for a greater degree of independence and new ways to communicate.

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik inaugurates private eye hospital in city

Wed, 07/18/2012 - 16:15 -- admin

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday inaugurated a private eye hospital in the city which is boasting of having a chain of facilities in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and one in Mauritius. Claimed to have been built at a whopping cost of Rs 10 crore, Dr Agarwal’s Eye Hospital assures to provide quality eye care by a team of dedicated doctors.

The hospital is believed to be well- equipped in performing certain ophthalmic surgeries. It has promised to provide free cataract surgeries on at least three days in a month.

City gets country’s first ‘talking ATM’ for differently-abled

Wed, 07/18/2012 - 16:14 -- admin

Tarak Luhar, visually impaired since birth, was the first to withdraw money from the country’s first ‘Talking ATM’ installed by the Union Bank of India on Wednesday at the Blind People’s Association (BPA) premise in Vastrapur. The machine did the talking through the head phones and he would just run his fingers on the Braille keypad on the machine.
Bank chairman and managing director D Sarkar inaugurated the disabled-friendly machine with a view to assist the visually and physically challenged.

Rs. 30 lakh spent to renovate Planning Commission hq. toilets

Wed, 07/18/2012 - 16:12 -- admin

A day after a Right to Information query revealed that the Planning Commission had splurged over Rs. 30 lakh on renovating toilets at its headquarters in Delhi, the Commission disputed that it was wasteful expenditure. The Commission said the amount was spent on a set of six “toilet blocks” with multiple seats and facilities for the differently-abled. It also described the renovation as “routine maintenance,” required in an old building having an antiquated plumbing system

Rally for visually impaired goes the Time Speed Distance way

Wed, 07/18/2012 - 16:06 -- admin

It's time for the visually impaired to prove their navigating skills when Foresight - Car Rally for the Blind 2012 gets under way on Sunday.
The Time Speed Distance rally, organised by the Bangalore Knight Round Table (BKRT), in association with Round Table India (RTI), will be flagged off from Palace grounds and finishes at the same point, covering a distance of 45 km in two hours and 30 minutes with an average speed of 45 kph.

Vision impaired Nagpur teen gets 94% in Class 12 board exam

Wed, 07/18/2012 - 16:01 -- admin

When a computer-generated voice read out the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) results to Rahul Bajaj, 17, from the board website on Friday, the significance of securing 94.83% didn't sink in immediately.
 
Bajaj, who suffers from 90% visual impairment, not only topped the commerce stream at the Dr Ambedkar College, Nagpur, but also scored possibly the highest marks obtained by a visually impaired student in HSC.
 
 
"We have not come across a vision-impaired student who has scored such high marks," said CR Borkar, chairman, Nagpur divisional board.

RTI replies now available in Braille

Wed, 07/18/2012 - 15:59 -- admin

The blind in the state can now get replies to their queries under the Right to Information (RTI) Act in Braille, thanks to an initiative of the state information commission with the help of the National Institute for the Visually Handicapped.
State information commissioner K S Sripathi said the programme, being done for the first timein the country, "Is expected to help more than seven lakh visually challenged people in the state." He said, "We have taken up the initiative following various requests from visually challenged persons across the state."

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