General

Partially blind banker excels in squash

He proved just how good he is by winning the 40-44 year age group title at the Squash National Championships at the Delhi Gymkhana Club, recently. ”Squash is my passion,” said Sanjeev Anand after the victory.

Anand is partially sighted. He is a champion in a game that requires immense hand-eye coordination. After losing the first two sets in the final match, Anand kept his hopes alive by wining the third set. He then rallied on to win the fifth and the final set to claim his maiden national title.

Blind Iranian women's film ready for screening

Photography: a new angle to see

Is sight a determinant to good photography? Perhaps no. A visually impaired student took a series of beautifully composed shots of a lush canopy of trees. When asked how he had framed the shots so precisely, he replied that he heard the wind rustle the leaves in a certain way and felt the sun's rays.

Iris and Kfir, both photographers with a strong social conscience, literally stumbled upon the idea on the Internet as they explored ways to contribute creatively to the community.

South Africa prepares itself for blind voters prior to local government elections

In South Africa, thousands of Independent Electoral Commission (I.E.C.) staff are set to undergo training on the rights of visually impaired voters before the local government elections.

Mawethu Mosery, the Provincial Electoral Officer in KwaZulu-Natal, said, I.E.C. staff would be educated about the provisions of the Secret Ballot of Blind Voters Act before the local government elections. He said there were various options available to blind people, including the plate system.

Craig MacFarlane’s can-do spirit transcends his blindness

Not-for-profit organisation broadcasts daily newspapers

It provides them with what listeners like Maureen describe: "I have JAWS screen reader and a computer at home, and I can go on a newspaper website to read but it’s not the same thing. Reading something that is written from text is different from listening to somebody giving you a little personal touch as these volunteer readers do."

A not-for-profit organisation, Cris Radio (Chicagoland Radio Information Service), has been bringing news from newspapers and magazines since 1977.

Cook County’s Circuit Court may have a legally blind judge

Subscribers and supporters help U.K. charity to overcome financial crisis

Global disasters such as the Asian tsunami and the Kashmir earthquake attracted more public donations last year, due to which the smaller charities in the U.K. have suffered financial crunch. One such organisation, the National Talking Newspapers and Magazines, U.K., lost up to a fifth of its income, in the year 2005.

As the funds started shrinking, the charity that produces recorded selections from newspapers and magazines for blind and visually impaired people feared closure.

At the Screen Awards, it’s Black that’s beautiful

United Nations takes a big step towards accessibility

For the first time, the United Nations will be able to print material directly in Braille. The credit goes to a donation of a state-of-the-art printer by the non-profit organisation, Services for the Visually Impaired, (S.V.I.), U.S.A., along with the World Blind Union (W.B.U.).

Harold Snider, Executive Director, S.V.I., said the high-speed, heavy-duty embosser would provide the U.N. with Braille production capacity in all six of the organisation’s official languages.