DEAR FRIENDS/வணக்கம் தோழர்களே!

"வெல்ஃபேர்ஃபவுண்டேஷன்ஆஃப் தி ப்ளைண்ட் அமைப்பின் வலைப்பூ இது. இனி தொடர்ந்துமாதம் இருமுறை அப் டேட் செய்யப்படும். பார்வையற்றவர்களின் பிரச்னைகள், திறனாற் றல்களைப் பற்றியவிழிப்புணர்வை பரவலாக்கும் நோக்கத்தை முதன்மையாகக் கொண்டு இந்தவலைப்பூ வரும். பார்வை யறறவர்கள் தொடர்பான, சமூகம் தொடர்பான முக்கிய தகவல் கள் அறிவிப்புகளை அனுப்பித்தந்தால் ஆசிரியர் குழுவால் பரி சீலிக்கப்பட்டு, தரமும் நம்பகத்தன்மையும் வாய்ந்தவையாக இருப்பின், வெளியிடப்படும்

This is the blog of WELFARE FOUNDATION OF THE BLIND, an organization founded by late Dr.G.Jayaraman. It is an orga nization of the Blind, which aims to create and spread awareness about the plights and potentials of the visually challenged, in the society. Information concerning the well-being of the visually challenged will be published and also their articles and creative writings. the blog will be regularly updated twice in a month


Wednesday, June 3, 2009

k.raghuraman's column - hai from raghuraman _2

HAI FROM RAGHURAMAN _ 2


True inspiration to all of us!
Please read this:

It happened in a sports stadium. Eight little girls were ready on thetrack to participate in the running event.

* Ready!
* Steady!!
* Bang!!!

As soon as the toy pistol fired, all eight girls startedrunning.

Hardly had they ran 10 to 15 steps, when one of the smaller girls slipped and fell down. She was bruised and started crying in pain.

When the other seven girls heard her, they all stopped running, stood for a moment and ran back to where the girl had fallen down and was crying.

One among them bent over, picked up the little girl and kissed her gently and enquired "Has the pain reduced now?" All the seven girls lifted this girl, pacified her, two of them held her firmly and they all joined hands together, walked together and reached the winning post.

The officials were shocked! The entire stadium resounded with the claps of the thousands of spectators.

And, do you know where this happened?

It happened in India!

YES. This happened in Hyderabad recently! The sports event had been organized by the National Institute of Mental Health. All these "special" girls had come to participate in this event and they were "spastic" children.

Yes, they were mentally challenged. But they taught a lesson to the world.

They taught us Teamwork! Humanity! Equality among all!


regards
raghu

"Not everything that is faced can be changed .
But nothing can be changed untill it is faced ."

K.RAGHURAMAN'S COLUMN - HAI FROM RAGHURAMAN _ 1

HAI FROM RAGHURAMAN! _ 1


Hai All,Below is the news about a low-vision student from Delhi scoring 96.7% in 12th commerce in CBSE. We are trying to interview him for our radio show.--------

New Delhi: Anuj Goel’s eyes hurt. But he kept pushing himself, trying to prove that he could do it. It wasn’t easy sitting in the front row for the visually impaired student — he strained his eyes to make out the letters on the blackboard, peering through his thick glasses.

Friday’s CBSE results showed all his pains were worth the effort: Goel not only stood first among 1,034 disabled students who took the examinations, he was also the topper among government school students.

His score: 96.7 per cent.

“I couldn’t see clearly even with my glasses on but I knew it couldn’t be corrected. I accepted it; I knew I had to live with it,” he says. “After a while,I stopped trying to change it. With the results, I have proved that a disability can’t stop you from making it to the top.”

The Commerce student was the only visually impaired student in Pratibha Vikas Vidalaya, the government’s showcase school that has often found mention in the top 100-list and is modeled on the Kendriya Vidyalayas.

He says though fellow students called him names in the beginning, he soon learned not to notice. Goel says he got support from all his teachers and friends — they often helped him with his work, encouraging him, sometimes even putting up a screen in front of him in multi-media classes so he could see.

When he was two, Goel’s mother Kusum Lata Goyal, an MCD school teacher, figured his eyesight was weak and the parents went to hospitals and private clinics, hoping for a cure. But when “no” was the answer everywhere, they decided to work with the odds.

“I put him in my school in Keshavpuram so I could be with him,” she says. “Then he took the entrance for Pratibha Vidyalaya in Shalimar Bagh after Class V and stood first — there has been no looking back after that.”

As Goel gorges on sweets brought over by neighbours and relatives, he is already planning his future. He wants to join SRCC: “It was always a dream to top in Delhi, to prove that I could do it, and I have done!

Source:http://www.indianexpress.com/news/96.7-city-boy-shows-vision-more-important-than-sight/464622/0


Adieu.
raghu.

"not everything that is faced can be changed .
but nothing can be changed until it is faced."

K.RAGHURAMAN'S COLUMN - POINTS TO PONDER _3

k.raghuraman's column


POINTS TO PONDER _ 2

Subject: best wishes to our P.M.

To: scretariat@ncpedp.com

Dear Sir,
I write to congratulate you on your stupendous success in theelections. I am thrilled and excited that the UPA government has comeinto power for the second term.
I wait in hope and anticipation that the positive initiatives that were begun in the last tenure will continue and touchthe lives of each one of the 70 million disabled people in India.
The demand for a separate ministry for disability has picked upmomentum across the country. This urgent need cannot be emphasizedenough.
I write to press this demand before you once again.The Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment is not able to fullyfocus on the issue of disability.
With issues of SC/ST, Minorities andthe other equally pressing issues demanding attention, the Minister is unable to find time for issues concerning disabled people.
Hence, A MOS may kindly be established for the welfare of the Disabled under the Ministry ofSocial Justice.
It has been almost 14 years since the Persons with Disability Act waspassed. Yet, it has not been properly implemented.
The Act itself is in dire need of amendments but this too could not be done. On the 1st of October 2007, India became the seventh country in the world to ratify theUnited Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and it was a proud moment for all of us in the Indian disability movement.
In a few months, it will be 2 years since the ratification.
This needs urgent attention as well.
A mandate is already set out in the XIth Five Year Plan for the upgradation of the Disability Division of the Ministry of SocialJustice and Empowerment, to a Department.
I quote verbatim from the Planning Commission document:Clause 6.188: The ‘Disability Division’ of the Ministry of SocialJustice and Empowerment shall be strengthened with the status of aseparate ‘Department’ so that they can effectively interact with all the concerned Ministries/Departments and ensure that they fulfill theirresponsibility towards disabled persons, including the financial support enjoined on them.
This gesture would send a strong message not only to India, but to thewhole world, about your Government’s commitment to the cause ofdisability.
I urge you to consider this demand favourably.With best wishes and prayers to you and your team, for your secondterm in office.

With deep and personal regards,
k.Raghuraman.
M A B.ED.P.G.
ASSISTANT IN ENGLISH
Lady Wellintdon Higher Secondary School.
Triplicane,
Chennai 600059
Mobile: 09840018012
Email: thinkdontblink@gmail.comSkype: thinkdontblink

*friends, please read this forwarded message and send to our hounarableP.M. in your name to do the needful.


regards
raghu..

RAGHURAMAN'S COLUMN - POINTS TO PONDER

POINTS TO PONDER _ 1

By K.RAGHURAMAN


Friends, AS YOU ALL KNOW, we have just elected our 15th LOK SABHA.
And, of course by now even the new government would have been formed.
But, as of now, that is not my concern now.

Rather, I would like to focus on a special feature occurred in this Election.
Among thousands of candidates contested in this Election, a handful of them are really worthy to be noticed for their real mettle to serve the society. Yes! These candidates are truly men of action and only because of which they had secured a large number of votes.

To my knowledge three visually challenged contested the elections from north India. These Visually Challenged candidates are neither uneducated nor unemployed. They are real contributing citizens of our country, working and leading a life of dignity.

But, I am sorry to say that I could remember only MR. RAMBHAI’s name who gave a tough fight to both Congress and B.J.P. In fact he got around 27000 votes and this is because of good deeds that he had done to his constituency. He is really popular amongst the people there.

Even here in Chennai a social activist—a Sighted stood for the welfare of the Visually challenged community contested. And he is none other than MR.N.S. VENKATRAMAN the NANDHINI VOICE, an N.G.O devoted itself for the cause of the disabled.

What do we need to derive from this initiation?

That we, the friends, belonging to different Disabilities must at least now raise up to the occasion and come under one Forum in order to be a strong political force to be reckoned with.

So far we have been merely reciting the slogan that: “We must be part and parcel of the main stream”. But, we have never endeavoured to act accordingly. We should.

Firstly, we must master ourselves in our respective Fields and should be more informative and challenging at any point of time.

So, each and every step of us should be in the direction of improvement and elevation in terms of the whole community.

For this purpose both the seniors and juniors should walk together. With the former being the Beacon-light, the latter could reach the shore safe and sound.

But, at present the seniors and even those who are well settled in their lives disown themselves from social activities in the garb of protecting their families.

This is not to blame anyone, but, to take stock of the situation as such.

Therefore, let us all chart out an action plan to be a Member of Parliament in the next Lok Sabha.

Also, we could, as some say, demand reservation in the Parliament.

Also, friends belonging to different disabilities should co operate and co odinate to share a common platform from where each and everyone of our voice could be heard loud and clear.

Hence, I invite all my buddies to work with me to realize this mission.

“Not everything that is faced can be changed .
But nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

So, what are the steps that we could possibly take to cherish this goal?

My suggestions are ---

1: As I mentioned basically we need to bring in all our friends who are scattered in different parts of INDIA under one flag.
2: Then each and every learned disabled friend should create awareness amongst his/her juniors through whatever possible way that he/she is capable of. In fact they should be not merely a friend, but also a good guide all through their lives.
3: The budding ‘differently abled’ friends, instead of opting for the usual, much-trodden work streams, should focus on the unexplored professions in order to prove the fact that we are proficient to do any job.
4: Besides working for our own community, each differently abled must voice their opinions on all social issues and participate in all social projects genuinely to facilitate the process of oneness.

By doing these surely one could be an inspiring personality, a role model in his/her own way.
These are only my thoughts. It’s up to you to accept, modify or even add if you wish.

“Life is only once.
So let us cherish it with our sense.”.

Monday, June 1, 2009

A MILESTONE ! A MONTH LONG COMPUTER SENSITIZATION PROGRAMME FOR THE VISUALLY CHALENGED!


















A MONTH LONG
COMPUTER SENSITIZATION PROGRAMME
FOR
THE VISUALLY CHALLENGED!

By
MR.V.SIVARAMAN

(SECRETARY-WELFARE FOUNDATION OF THE BLIND)
LECTURER – DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH PRESIDENCY COLLEGE, CHENNAI


The Indian Association of the Blind conducted a month-long Computer Literacy Programme For The Visually Challenged at its premises in Sundararajanpatti Madurai from the27th of April 2009 to the 27th of May 2009. Mr. V. Sivaraman, Secretary of the Welfare Foundation of the Blind acted as the Co-ordinator.

The main aim of the Programme was to teach the Visually Challenged basic computer skills to do their personal work with the help of a computer with Jaws, a screen-reading software.


· In the first week, all the 12 participants were given keyboard orientation.

· In the second week, Mr. K. Raguraman, an E.C Member of WELFARE FOUNDATION OF THE BLIND, taught them how to save a file in the place of their choice and how to create a new folder with a name.

· In the third week, Mr.Tajudeen, lecturer in English from Pondicherry, trained the participants how to edit and format the Word Document without anyone’s assistance.


· And, in the last week, Ms. Muthuselvi, an E.C Member of WELFARE FOUNDATION OF THE BLIND, taught them to send mail and search in a website.
On the last day of the course, the participants were asked to type in their feedback in a word document and send it as attachment mail.

Based on their performance, marks were awarded to the participants.
Out of the twelve people who took part in the course, 3 are teachers and others are students.

Along with computer literacy soft skills were also taught to the participants.
In their feedback, all the participants expressed satisfaction with the course. They also gave their suggestions to make such courses more useful in the days to come.