The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), Karnataka, marked World Braille Day with an event at Kondajji Basappa Auditorium in Bangalore, honouring Louis Braille, the inventor of the crucial reading and writing system for the blind.
The focus of this annual celebration, which sought to raise awareness about the challenges faced by the visually impaired, was empowerment through inclusion and diversity. Speakers at the event also underscored the need to integrate visually impaired individuals fully into society.
Sri. Ajay Arora, a visually impaired IAS officer and Additional Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare, Government of Punjab, presided over the proceedings, which were attended by several distinguished guests, including popular Kannada cinema actor Dr. Srinath.
Excellency award
The ceremony featured awards and felicitations, recognising outstanding visually impaired individuals. These included the NFB Excellency Award, which honoured three community icons, and the NFB Prathibha Award 2023, which recognised four students for exceptional performance in public exams. Shreyas Reddy, an advocate at Karnataka High Court, who won one of the NFB Excellency Awards, said, “I believe there’s insufficient support for the visually impaired to achieve independence. We need to access all public spaces effectively, and without proper accessibility, our fundamental right to life is impeded,” he said, adding that gaining access to schools proved to be a challenge even for him, at first. “My parents supported me by reading everything. Fortunately, evolving technology has made things more accessible over the years, which is truly remarkable.”
He also pointed out that while there has been progress for the visually impaired, it’s primarily driven by NGOs. “The government still has a considerable distance to cover. No one should be treated out of sympathy; every individual deserves to be treated with love and empathy, free from discrimination,” said Mr. Reddy.
Braille in daily life
Varsha Umapathi, the captain of the Indian Women’s blind cricket team, who had also won an award, spoke about how Braille has helped her journey through life. According to her, Braille needs to be implemented in almost all sectors of our daily life, whether it be a lift or at a restaurant. “The government has implemented Braille here and there. But I’d request more of it to be brought in. This way, people like us with low vision can also lead a normal life,” she said.
