She lost her vision when she had just stepped into youth. But it did not stop her from doing things girls of her age would normally do. Jidnyasa Chawaldhal, the sole female Nagpur Heroes awardee, could not adapt to mobility but today her students are alone crossing busy city roads and cooking full meals for their families.
Visualization has always been her sixth sense and keeps her motivated to work towards empowering the disabled.
Excerpts from the interview ...
Q. How has winning the award changed your life?
A. The award has given me something which I needed the most at this stage — recognition, especially among the educated class. Right after I won, a reputed institution of the city invited me as a chief guest for their Women's Day programme. Some days back, I called up a donor who congratulated me as soon as he picked up the phone. He had read about my work in The Times of India and didn't think twice before giving me an affirmative response. This was when I realized that the award has not just given me an identity but has also brought my work in the mainstream.
Equipped with 20-seat computer classroom, the Centre trains students from weaker sections, to enhance their education.
“Karna Vidya means learning through hearing. Visually challenged students have enormous capacity to learn and gather information through their keen hearing capabilities,” said G. Balasubrahmanyan, former president, RCMC.
The assistive technologies makes information accessible to them. “The Centre, which began in May this year, uses screen magnifier for partially visually-impaired and conversion of information in to accessible format through Digital Access Information System,” he added.
It also has a Scanning and Reading Appliance Camera Edition, which is a next-generation self-contained scanning and reading appliance for the blind and those with low vision.
“At present, we are offering two four-month courses – Computer Application with Screen Readers, and Soft Skills Development. The Centre trains the students to get employed in IT companies and IT Enabled Services as soft-skills trainer and technical trainer. We are planning to introduce courses for Post-Graduate and Doctorate students and professional and business courses such as Law and Information Technology,” said K. Raghuraman, Co-ordinator, KVTC, and Professor, Department of English, Government Arts College for Men, Nandanam.
A Talking ATM is a type of automated teller machine (ATM) that provides audible instructions so that persons who cannot read an ATM screen can independently use the machine. The world’s first talking ATM for the blind was an NCR machine unveiled by the Royal Bank of Canada on October 22, 1997 at a bank branch on the corner of Bank Street and Queen Street in Ottawa, Ontario.
Talking ATM in India: Union Bank of India became the first bank to make electronic banking easier for the visually impaired with its “talking” ATM. India’s first “talking” Automated Teller Machine has been inaugurated in Ahmedabad. The ATM by the UBI is the first of its kind for the visually challenged.
According to functionaries of the Blind People’s Association, the users have to plug-in a headphone into the ATM which has a unique voice interface and once it is done the machine guides them into further operations.
Admissions are opened for Competitifve Examinations Preparatory Course (CEPC) up to 1st August (Friday )2014 at KVTC
Registrations are invited from visually impaired friends for General Health Camp on 16th August (Saturday) 2014. The last date for registration is 10th August (Sunday) 2014.
