04 January declared as WORLD BRAILLE DAY. Earlier the World Blind Union observed it.

Press Release

New Delhi                                                                 Dated: 18.12.2018

United Nations Declares January 4 as “World Braille Day”

The United Nations General Assembly has passed a Resolution on 17^th December, 2018 designating Louis Braille’s Birth Anniversary, January 4, as “World Braille Day”.  The purpose of the Resolution is to raise awareness about the importance of Braille and to promote its use for the benefit of visually impaired persons worldwide.

The movement for securing UN recognition for the Day was spearheaded by the World Blind Union (WBU), the global organization of the blind.  It was at its fifth General Assembly held in Melbourne, Australia in 2000, that WBU had itself officially declared 4^th January as World Braille Day and called upon the UN to do likewise.  The efforts of WBU have now been crowned with success. 

In his message from the UN Head Quarters in New York City, the WBU President, Dr. Fredric K. Schroeder (from U.S.) has observed: “this is wonderful achievement especially because Braille is the means of literacy for blind people.  Literacy is the foundation of education and the foundation of full integration for the visually impaired”.

Secretary General of WBU, Mr. A.K. Mittal (from India) has commented: “this is great news. Braille will remain the doyen of systems for giving to the visually impaired access to knowledge which is the main source of empowerment.”

We sincerely hope that this declaration by the UN will further encourage our Government’s efforts to provide meaningful education in Braille for blind children and enable them to get much easier and faster access to reading material in Braille and necessary assistive devices. 

                                                                                                               

                                                                             (J.L. KAUL)

                                                       SECRETARY GENERAL

International Eye Bank, Kolkata conducts its annual awareness Walk called "Alokjatra" to motivate post death eye donation among common people 16 December 2018

This morning three of us SVH member- volunteers namely Sipra Maitra, Meena Sur & Hena Basu, attended the Alokjatra (Journey to Light) hosted by International Eye Bank Kolkata jointly with Bally Apex Senior Citizens Club at Bally. The walk started from Rabindra Bhavan, Bally & ended at Bally Harisabha. Four of our vision impaired College & University students namely Prabir Hazra, AlokDas, Phani Pal & Kundan Jadav participated from SVH. This annual Walk is held to create awareness about the need for pledging eyes so that after death the cornea can be collected and grafted on waiting patients. This year Bally Club collected 72 corneas.

Annual Life skill training for the Blind & Other disabled children by Himalayan Nature & Adventure Foundation, (HNAF) Siliguri Dec 18-23, 2018 at Patharjhora Tea Garden 55 KMs from Siliguri

17 December 2018 Adventure Camp for disabled children conducted by the Himalayan Nature & Adventure Foundation HNAF), Siliguri Dec 18-23, 2018 at Patharjhora Tea Garden 55 KMs from Siliguri.
This evening three of SVH female volunteers Shila Das, Urmi Majumdar and Rina Shaw will be leaving Kolkata by train for north Bengal to attend an Adventure Camp for children with all kind of disabilities hosted annually by the Himalayan Nature & Adventure Foundation, Siliguri Dec 18-23, 2018 at Patharjhora Tea Garden 55 KMs from Siliguri. This environment priority NGO lacks adequate volunteers so every year I try and send 2 or 3 persons from SVH with a donation that our resources permit. They carry two big bags containing used clothes donated by some of our acquaintances which HNAF take for distribution to tea garden poor families. In winter they need a lot and at times I speedpost them.
I shall email the photos as they keep sending the same to me. Generous support from our friends and wellwishers give us a lot of courage to take up this endeavor as it empowers our volunteers to handle children with severe locomotor and intellectual impairments. Your blessing will guide them in discharging this responsibility with a smile and cheer. Sometime they have to roll several hundred chapatis using rolling pins but they love it! Photographs will be loaded next week.

This Camp carries the blessing of pioneering  and stalwart mountaineers like Bidyut Sarkar (Chorda), Nima Tashi (Former Director Training, HMI, Darjeeling) and of course the helm rests at the hand of Animesh Bose, the Omniscient Nature Expert!