India's Commitment to Ensuring Dignity and Equality for the Visually Impaired: A Government Initiative
Click to start listening
New Delhi, Jan 4 (NationPress) India is dedicated to guaranteeing that individuals with visual disabilities live with dignity, independence, and equality, as stated by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on World Braille Day this Saturday.
World Braille Day, celebrated every year on January 4, marks the birthday of Louis Braille, the innovator who created a tactile script in the 19th century in France, transforming communication for those who are blind or partially sighted.
Since 2019, this day has been recognized worldwide, emphasizing the importance of Braille in empowering those with visual impairments.
Braille enables blind and partially sighted individuals to access the same books and materials available in standard print.
It consists of a tactile system of alphabetic and numeric symbols formed by six dots that represent letters, numbers, and even musical, mathematical, and scientific symbols.
“As we honor the accomplishments of Louis Braille and the numerous advocates for accessibility, let us commit to fostering a community where everyone can succeed, regardless of their abilities,” remarked the Ministry.
According to the 2011 Census, India is home to 50,32,463 individuals with visual impairments.
The Ministry highlighted several key initiatives launched by the government aimed at empowering those with visual disabilities.
These initiatives concentrate on the rights, education, employment, and overall welfare of visually impaired individuals across the nation.
The government has partnered with the National Association for the Blind to make around 10,000 pages of documents, including governmental schemes and legal aids, accessible to individuals with visual disabilities.
Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) have been executed with Inclusive Science, Mission Accessibility, and the National Association for the Blind to enhance mobile app accessibility utilizing AI technology.
Moreover, the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Impairment (NIEPVD) has been instrumental in the education, training, rehabilitation, and empowerment of visually impaired individuals, benefiting 2,94,388 people (new cases, follow-up, and supportive services) through various programs during 2023-24.
The government has also established a Model School for the Visually Handicapped (MSVH) to provide education to visually impaired children from Bal Vatika to the senior secondary level.
This institution offers free education, boarding, lodging, uniforms, books, and equipment, along with curricular activities. In the year 2023-24, the Model School educated 243 visually impaired children, as reported by the Ministry.
Importantly, the Braille Development Unit, operating under the Department of Special Education and Research, has played a key role in creating Braille codes in various Indian languages. It is also working on a ‘Manual on Bharti Braille’ to further enhance Braille literacy and standardization throughout India.
The NIEPVD is also hosting a National Accessible Library that provides learning materials in diverse accessible formats, including Braille, large print, audio, and E-pub, for individuals with visual impairments.
This library serves over 55,000 members and contains approximately 1,58,901 Braille volumes, 20,784 print books, and over 7,100 audio titles. Furthermore, it features an online Braille Library - Sugamya Pustkalaya, which has 6,79,120 titles available.
“These initiatives indicate that India is making significant progress toward ensuring that visually impaired individuals can lead lives filled with dignity, independence, and equality,” concluded the Ministry.
