2-Day Seminar for Visually Impaired Students Held at Tagore Hall Srinagar

Noor Ul Hasan Andrabi

A two day training seminar for the ‘Visually Impaired’ students on “Android Accessibility” held at Tagore Hall’s Conference Hall on Sunday and Monday.

The Seminar was being organised by J&K Handicapped Association in coordination with Bookshare, MJunction and Actor’s Creative Theatre (ACT) and being conducted by Dr. Homiyar, Ms. Zainab Chinkawala and Ms. Piya Nandi, in which they provide training about basic Talkback, Reading and Writing Skills Note Taking practice through phones and are giving training about book share easy reader.

The ist session which was held on Sunday, the students received training and they shared their experiences with them.

The 2nd session was held on monday which started with the discussion about the use cane and how important it is for visually impaired students. They were also educated about how will they use compact keyboard with an android phone.
Dr. Homiyar while educating the students demonstrated about compact keyboard through which they can use the android phone. This keyboard is having small dots which will help them in recognition and keyboard orientation”, adding “having blindness is not wrong but being dependent on other is a big task”,

He also emphases the use of white cane for all blind individuals for them to become independent in their mobility.

Mushtaaque Ali Ahmad Khan, one of the organizers’ said; “I very humbly say that it gives me immense satisfaction to stand with the specially challenged people especially the youth. Conducting this kind of seminar will help the Visually Impaired to know how to use smartphones to their benefit. Today the technology for the visually impaired is so advanced that once they start using these gadgets they will be comfortable in communicating with rest of people very easily.”

Ms Zainab Chinkawal gave threadbare awareness about book share ncert accessible books for both students and special teachers. She also mentioned about the importance of technology in the current world that, how a visually impaired person can do with a a lot things through technology with proper guidance and trainings.

Abrar Ahmad, on the occasion said that demands of students and response are getting better but due to lack of funds, we are not able to do more workshop or training programs as these programs or traning workshops are dependable on public funding.