World Braille Day 2023: CSR initiatives for the blind

For those who are blind or visually handicapped, Louis Braille, a French educator, created a universal system of reading and writing. World Braille Day is observed annually on January 4, the anniversary of Louis Braille’s birth, with the goal of raising awareness of the value of Braille as a communication aid for the blind and visually impaired and of their entitlement to equal rights and opportunities.

The CSR Journal examines corporate social responsibility efforts made in the previous year to benefit persons who are blind or visually impaired on World Braille Day 2023.

World Braille Day

SBI Foundation’s ‘Dialogue in the Dark’ Centre in Mumbai

In October of last year, the State Bank of India’s CSR division, SBI Foundation, announced a partnership with the ACE Social Foundation to open a centre for empathy called “Dialogue in the Dark.” It is situated in Mumbai’s Maker Chambers III neighbourhood in Nariman Point.

Through this carefully planned immersive experience infused with fun, curiosity, and teamwork, the SBI Foundation’s Centre of Excellence for PwDs seeks to sensitise and build awareness among the general public on the skills of PwDs, notably the visually impaired. Corporates and the general public are welcome to visit the Mumbai “Dialogue in the Dark” centre without paying a fee, they said.

Bajaj Allianz Life’s Diwali Initiative for Poona Blind School

Last year, Bajaj Allianz launched a programme to brighten Diwali for the kids at Poona Blind School. The business said that it will print and distribute to the visually impaired students of Poona Blind School warm greetings for the festival in Braille.

Lions Clubs International Foundation and Johnson & Johnson Vision’s Sight for Kids program

The Sight for Kids programme, a school-based eye health programme run in India, Kenya, Thailand, the Philippines, and the United States, has recently celebrated 20 years of successful partnership between Johnson & Johnson Vision and Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF), the charitable arm of Lions Clubs International. According to reports, Sight for Kids has been active in Kerala, Telangana, West Bengal, and Jharkhand.

According to the release, teachers have also received training in fundamental eye health to encourage early diagnosis and treatment.

Refractive errors, which include nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, are a common diagnostic and an easy spectacle correction. But if untreated, significant vision loss and blindness might eventually happen.

Tata Power Community Development Trust’s new age tech solutions for People with Disabilities

‘New Age Tech Expo for Persons with Disabilities,’ a one-day experiential display where 13 new-age technology solutions that benefit people with disabilities would be showcased live to participants, was announced by Tata Power Community Development in October of last year. The event, which was a part of Tata Power’s “Pay Attention” project, aimed to raise awareness of assistive technologies among businesses, decision-makers, and organisations about how they might better integrate these unique people into society and enjoy more fulfilling lives.

The Xavier’s Resource Center for the Visually Challenged (XRCVC), IIT Bombay, Torchit, and Social Alpha sponsored company Kidaura all gave demonstrations of their own assistive technology solutions. These services included online therapy as well as traditional therapy delivery, assistive technology for the deaf, mute, and physically disabled, and cutting-edge tech solutions for dyslexic, visually impaired, and speech-impaired people.

Bajaj Finserv Limited and Sightsavers India’s social inclusion and inclusive education

In order to implement the Social Inclusion and Inclusive Education Programs in the Raisen, Khagariya, Kasganj, and Pratapgarh districts of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, respectively, Bajaj Finserv Limited announced a cooperation with Sightsavers India in September 2022.

Through this partnership, Sightsavers and Bajaj Finserv Limited will enable children who are blind or visually impaired in receiving significant educational support while assuring their inclusion in regular classrooms. This Inclusive Education Program will provide help to kids from the age of 5 to 18. Additionally, as part of this programme, 400 visually impaired youngsters from the four districts would receive assistance and inclusion in regular education, according to their release.