WELFARE FOUNDATION OF THE BLIND
aims and objectives
WELFARE FOUNDATION OF THE BLIND
Reg.no.193
/91
No. 7, Iswaran Koil St, Kilambakkam
Urapakkam Post, Pin code -603 202
Ph.Nos.
044 22750896 / 044 2275102
UNDERSTAND !
ACNOWLEDGE !
APPRECIATE !
A group of visually challenged
friends met on a holiday in January
1991 and discussed what they could do to help their visually challenged
brothers and sisters. They felt that a strong foundation is needed in matters
of Awareness, Individual Help and Total Co-operation . Thus WELFARE FOUNDATION
OF THE BLIND came into being, to provide for these needs.
The Founder-President of W.F.B is
Dr.G.Jayaraman.
The Chief Patron is His Excellency,
the Governor of Tamil Nadu.
We are affiliated to ALL INDIA
CONFEDERATION OF THE BLIND and
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF THE BLIND (INDIA).
1)
Aims and Objectives:
·
To
create awareness about the Plights and Potentials of the Visually Challenged.
·
To
close the divide between the Sighted and the Sightless.
·
To
provide counselling and Guidance to the Visually Challenged.
·
To
create Integration, Co-operation and Co-ordination among all the Organizations
For and Of the Visually Challenged.
·
To
work in unison and to co-operate with the Government in uplifting the visually
challenged.
·
To
provide platform for the creative talents of the visually challenged.
Activities :
Working towards realizing our aims
and objectives we have undertaken and are undertaking various activities which
we hope would bring positive changes in the lives of the visually challenged.
Some
of our important and on-going activities are :
I We have
conducted Seminars on the following topics:
a)
Self-Employment
for the Visually Challenged.
b)
The
Role of the Visually Challenged Women in Welfare work.
c)
Exploring
New Areas of Employment.
d)
Some
Psychological Problems of the Visually Challenged.
e)
Music
as a Profession for the Visually Challenged.
f)
Literary
Introduction to the Visually Challenged.
Altogether,
we have so far conducted around 20 Seminars.
II We have conducted ‘Awareness Exhibitions’ highlighting
the Plights and Potentials of the Visually Challenged. Twice we have
participated in Informex Exhibition conducted by the Students Career Guidance
Bureau in 1991 and 1993 and on both the occasions we have won First Prize for
the Best Stall.
III We have so
far conducted two Study Projects which are :-
1) A Home for the Visually Challenged
Senior Citizens.
2)
)
An Integrated Training Programme for the visually Challenged and Poor Rural
Women.
_This
Integrated System has created the much-needed awareness in working with the
‘seeing’.
IV
Awards and Prizes:-
1)
We
have instituted two prizes for the Visually Challenged students of the
Chennai-based three Schools for the visually challenged and another for
Education and Training.They are
a)
Sundararajan Memorial Award
b)
Manikandan Memorial Award.
This
year, as a token of our love and respect for Prof.Vishnu Bhatt, who recently
passed away and who had done a lot for the cause of the Visually Challenged, we are going to institute Prof.vishnu
Bhatt Memorial Award which we would be giving every year.
2)
We
have given Awards to the following:
a)
Outstanding
Workers Award for the Visually Challenged.
b)
Nine
Gems Award representing nine Visually Challenged persons engaged in
non-conventional job activities and they include an Astrologer, a Businessman,
an L.I.C Agent, a small Industrialist, a Gas Agent, a Lawyer, a Music Composer
and so on.
This has created the much needed positive feeling that
no profession is beyond the reach of the Visually Challenged, if there is
determination in them and if proper opportunities are provided.
We
have honoured ten couples of whom one is Visually Challenged for leading a
successful married life for a period of twenty years.
c)
Seeing
parents who have properly settled their three Visually Challenged children were
honoured by our Organization.
d)
Visually Challenged writers were honoured.
e)
‘Friends
of the Blind’ Awards are annually given by us to those who are of constant
support to the cause of the Visually Challenged.
V
Publications:
In
order to create the much needed awareness about the Visually Challenged we have
published several works on and by the Visually Challenged. They are :
a)
THE UNHEARD VOICES OF THE
NON-SEEING -
a collection of essays on the various stages of the Visually Challenged
starting from Birth. This book is written by Dr.G.Jayaraman.
b)
KAANAADHA ULAGIL KELAADHA KURALGAL – The collection of essays mentioned above in Tamil.
c)
MARUPAARVAI _ a collection of brief life-sketches of twenty Visually
Challenged persons.
d)
A COLLECTION OF TAMIL SONGS SET TO
TUNE- by Mr.Venkatasubramanian, a Visually Challenged Music Teacher.
e)
OESAIGALIN NIRAMAALAI – a collection of Poems in Tamil written by
Prof.G.Kannan, a Visually Challenged poet.
f)
OOTRUKANGAL – A collection of prize-winning short-stories penned by
Visually Challenged students and adults. The competition was conducted by
Welfare Foundation of the Blind.
g)
THE STATE OF SCHOOLS FOR THE VISUALLY CHALLENGED IN MADRAS STATE
– written by Dr.G.Jayaraman.
h)
THARKAALA THAMIZH KAVIDHAIGAL – a collection of some 50 contemporary Tamil Poems in
Braille.
Apart
from our own publications we have also been instrumental in getting the works
of several aspiring visually challenged creative writers, printed. Thus,
PUDHUPUNAL PADHIPAGAM has published the poem-collection of poet Mu.Ramesh and VIRUTCHAM
VELIYEEDU has published poet.G.Kannan’s second poem-collection ‘Mazhaikkudai
Naatkal’. We have several other manuscripts with us and hopefully we would get
them published soon.
Thanking
you,
Yours
in the service of the visually challenged,
DR.G.JAYARAMAN
FOUNDER-PRESIDENT
WELFARE FOUNDATION OF THE BLIND
