BRAILLE was first used by French soldiers on the battlefields allowing the men to communicate without sound. This system was invented by Charles Barbier, a French inventor whose code was later adapted for blind people by a young man who had been blind since the age of 3. His name was Louis Braille and the system of reading and writing that he created used three dots to represent letters, numbers, punctuation and more. Each year, World Braille Day is celebrated on January 4th commemorating the birth anniversary of Louis Braille.
Today, Braille is used around the world to ensure that education, employment and public spaces are more accessible for visually-impaired people. If you walk around your neighborhood, you will see Braille options on ATM buttons, door signs, elevators and more. But of course, it is mainly in the area of education and employment that Braille is used. NGOs across India are using Braille and building Braille libraries to give visually-disabled people opportunities to excel in reading and writing in the language of their choice.
Here are 5 NGOs using Braille to empower the visually-impaired in India:
Hyderabad Karnataka Disabled Welfare Society
Blind children are often abandoned in public places or at NGOs because their parents consider it a burden to care for them. Hyderabad Karnataka Disabled Welfare Society is an NGO that was founded by Dattu Agarwal, who is also blind and understands the struggle of the 100 blind girls in his care. Dattu Agarwal established the Ambubai Residential School for Blind Girls to give the girls access to an education to improve their lives. One of the areas that the NGO empowers the young children is by providing access to resources in Braille.
Through its school, Hyderabad Karnataka Disabled Welfare Society focuses on educating their visually-impaired students by teaching them through the Braille system by teachers who are trained in the code. The NGO is also establishing a Braille press, library and cassette library so that the visually-impaired girls in their care can expand their horizons through reading and learning in Braille. Efforts are also underway to establish a library of Braille books with the assistance of the Ministry of Social Justice. To support Hyderabad Karnataka Disabled Welfare Society, you can donate here.
Turnstone Global
Being a blind person, the founder of Turnstone Global understands the difference it can make when marginalized or disabled people have access to opportunities that allow them to improve their futures. Dr. Gaba founded Daulat Public School to give 500 children from tribal families the chance to go to school for the first time. Turnstone Global believes that education is the tool that will break the generational cycle of poverty. These families cannot afford to feed their children everyday but by providing them with access to education and nutritious meals, Dr. Gaba is making a way out of the cycle of poverty that traps them.
Turnstone Global also runs projects for people with disabilities, especially those who are visually-impaired. The NGO recognized the gap between the availability and the need for Braille books so they established the Braille Press in 2009 that produces nearly 275 Braille tiles each year. This allows visually-challenged people to read classics by Rabindranath Tagore and a multitude of other authors whose works have impacted individuals and entire societies. Turnstone Global’s use of Braille to give people in multiple states access to books has popularized Braille and influenced others to set up Braille libraries. To support Turnstone Global, you can donate here.
Shri Navchetan Andhjan Mandal
We read about an NGO caring for abandoned blind children. Here is an NGO that cares for blind senior citizens who have been abandoned by their families and were homeless on the streets until they were rescued by Shri Navchetan Andhjan Mandal, an NGO founded by a blind person named Laljibhai. When Laljibhai was 17 years old, he went to bed and woke up the next morning entirely blind. His life was turned upside down but he was determined not to let his disability bring him down. He graduated and started teaching but when he saw the miserable conditions that blind and homeless people lived in, he decided to shelter and care for them.
Shri Navchetan Andhjan Mandal cares for 63 homeless and blind elderly people who have no families to look after them. The NGO is equipped with a computerized Braille press and an audio recording unit to support the visually-impaired and encourage them to read, write and learn in their old age. The home aims to go beyond giving its residents what they need; it aims to empower them with the resources to build their minds and live with purpose and independence. Having the opportunity to learn Braille allows the elderly blind residents to use Braille options in public places and enrich their minds. To support Shri Navchetan Andhjan Mandal, you can donate here.
Blind Welfare Society
When Blind Welfare Society received a distress call about a blind girl who was being held captive and forced to beg, the Delhi-based NGO rescued the girl where she now lives with 40 visually-impaired girls who have been rescued from abandonment and exploitation. Blind Welfare Society does more than give the girls a roof over their heads. It nurtures them with regular healthy meals and empowers them with access to education, which includes learning to read and write in Braille through their Braille Learning Project.
Blind Welfare Society believes that all people should be able to read and write, and their visual impairment should not be an impediment toward this goal. Learning Braille is crucial to achieving this important objective and improving their future. The NGO’s research has found that Braille literacy is directly correlated to the education and employment levels of visually-impaired people. Blind Welfare Society’s Braille Literacy Project offers classes to blind people to build their self-confidence and independence. To support Blind Welfare Society, you can donate here.
Indian Association for the Blind
Founded by a person who lost his sight due to an accident, Indian Association for the Blind offers education, skill training, employment assistance and other support to blind people from low-income communities and rural regions. The Madurai-based Indian Association for the Blind is committed to empowering blind people to become independent by providing support services to build their academic and professional skills and abilities. This includes access to a well-equipped Braille and audio library through its Project School initiative.
Indian Association for the Blind offers assistive devices to the people with visual disabilities that includes Braille kits, laptops, audiobooks and other assistive devices that have equipped people and promoted inclusivity. Through its Braille Learning Program, Indian Association for the Blind encourages people to learn Braille, since the system allows people around the world to progress. Their special classes do more than help visually-impaired gain access to education and employment but live with dignity and self-respect. To support Indian Association for the Blind, you can donate here.
Support NGOs on Give.do this World Braille Day
NGOs across India help blind children and adults get access to opportunities that allow them to express themselves and live independently. This World Braille Day, we can support NGOs in their noble mission to lift the visually-impaired out of the despair many live in and empower them with opportunities.
Shirley has been in the development sector for over 10 years and is passionate about making a change in the world around her, including adopting dogs and writing to make a difference.
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