* Dr.K.H.Sunitha **Dr. Beula Christy

1. EMPOWERING THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED BY PROMOTING READING HABITS AND LEARNING SKILLS AT L.V.PRASAD EYE INSTITUTE : A STUDY *Dr.K.H.Sunitha **Dr. Beula Christy *Associate Professor in Library Science(Retd), Kasturba Gandhi Degree and PG College for Women, Marredpally: Secunderabad **Head and consultant, Dr.P.R.K.Prasad Centre for Rehabilitation of Blind and Visually Impaired, L.V.Prasad Eye Institute.

2. Introduction • Reading is a gateway to knowledge and wisdom • Reading helps the individual to understand the society and his role as a citizen, worker and individual within his own personal sphere of activity • Reading is a tool for the acquisitive mind and it is the vehicle for obtaining ideas that cannot be transmitted verbally

3. VISUALLY IMPAIRED • Visual stimulus presented to the brain help in the development of motor, language and cognitive skills of an individual • According to the current available world statistics, less than 10% of the visually impaired know Braille • It is crucial for us to introduce the skill of reading through the only available medium of Braille at an early age

4. The Importance of Braille in the Digital Age • the literary Braille code has been called “the key to opportunity, the means of emancipation, the greatest gift of the blind” [Elridge, 1979] • ‘as long as print is the primary literary medium of sighted people, Braille will be the primary literary medium for blind people’ [Wittenstein, 1994] • It is the most significant literacy medium for the visually impaired and is an essential component of any educational program that serves children who are blind.

5. L V Prasad Eye Institute, India • L V Prasad Eye Institute is a Comprehensive eye health facility with its main campus located in Hyderabad, India • A WHO Collaborating Centre for Prevention of Blindness • The Institute offers • Comprehensive Patient Care and Research • Sight enhancement and Rehabilitation services • High-impact Rural Eye Health programs • Training for all levels of ophthalmic personnel Hyderabad Vizag Bhubaneswar Bhubaneswar Vijayawada Vijayawada

6. OVERVIEW OF REHABILITATON SERVICES AT LVPEI • The centre is an integral part of the LVPEI’s pyramid, the services are delivered at all levels through its centre-based and community based approach at different levels across LVPEI’s network • Since its inception in 1987, the centre has empowered more than 1,25,000 visually challenged through its centre and community based approach

7. DIGITAL AUDIO LIBRARY • It is estimated that about 30% of the visually impaired population are children in India, of which only 4% of them are enrolled in schools [NCERT2005] against the national gross enrollment • The library provides books in digital MP3 and ‘Daisy’ form for all those in need • Academic textbooks • Law book, • competitive exams • Banking books, • General Knowledge • Children stories • Degree books

8. PROMOTION OF LITERACY AMONG THE VISUALLY CHALLENGED • Educational Guidance • Special Skills Training • Reader’s Service • Preparation of Teaching Materials • Scribe Service • Educational material in large print and Braille • Helpline for Educational Issues • Training in using Computer Assistive Software • Use of Optical, Non Optical and Electronic Devices • FITTLE • White Print

9. Educational Guidance • Counseling and guidance is given to individuals with vision loss on the following aspects based of their visual acuity, economic background and family support • school readiness • information on choices of course • information on choices of learning media[print, large print, audio books etc • suggestions in class room modifications • recommendation letters to the schools and colleges for unique requirement of the child

10. Special Skills Training • Teaching pre Braille and Braille activities • Training in use of mathematical devices such as • Abacus • Taylor frame

11. Reader’s Service • Assistance is provided to teach the content on one basis, usually for the students at high school and college level • Readers are those volunteers who read the subjects and explain the key content to the students

12. Preparation of Teaching Materials • TLM’s are prepared to allow the blind child understand a concept by exploring tactually • Examples of TLM’s prepared are Maps with tactile raised boundaries, a thicker boundary is used for the country border and a thinner outline is used to differentiate state border • TLM’s are prepared to explain science experiments as well by adapting tactile modifications

13. Scribe Service • A sighted person is arranged to write exams on behalf of the visually challenged • Scriber is expected to read out the questions and write the answers said by the blind

14. Educational material in large print and Braille • The centre distributes story books and academic books in Braille and large font for the visually challenged students as and when required • Over 500 story books in Grade I Braille are kept in the library for circulation among children between 3-15 years of age group • Academic and leisure materials for school and college going students are prepared in Grade II, Grade III Braille upon request from the user

15. Helpline for Educational Issues • Tele counseling and support is provided through ‘Rehab Helpline’ • The caller’s query may relate to anything on visual impairment and blindness such as • not getting admission in school • issues in availing any educational concessions • support for scribe facility • wanting to learn some skill, Braille etc

16. Training in using Computer Assistive Software • Instructional training to work on computer using specialized software that has screen readers and magnifiers thus enhance academic achievement and assist in acquiring meaningful employment • Training is provided to use computers with assistive software such as • JAWS • MAGIC 8.0 • KURZWEIL.

17. Use of Optical, Non Optical and Electronic Devices • There are varying range of low vision devices that are helpful for a child with low vision to use them in class. • Telescope and special magnifiers will enlarge font on print and on blackboard. • The centre helps the visually challenged to learn to use such devices to continue enjoy reading and writing like their sighted peers.

18. www.fittle.in

19. Functions of FITTLE • Learn the Braille Alphabet • Construct words and learn more vocabulary • Concept construction and utility value of object • Orientation to direction • Number concept • Motor co-ordination concept • Tactile stimulation • Audio feedback improves learning skills

20. White Print • The library subscribes to ‘White Print’, the first lifestyle magazine in Braille in India • In India, there are very few text books that are compatible with Braille • Concept construction and utility value of object • Orientation to direction • Number concept • Motor co-ordination concept

21. Feedback from the Beneficiaries • Digital Audio Library: The recorded audio books in different languages with clear accent, recorded by volunteers has been a great benefit in our education. • Edited Books: The edited books are a great source in preparing for academic exams and to attain good scores. It also helps them in gaining professional acceptance and opportunities. • Computer Skills: The training received at the center has made them more skillful, independent and hopeful for the future. • Scribe Services: The timely scribe services enabled the students to write academic as well as competitive exams confidently and helped them to achieve their goals. • Helpline Service: A unique model that provides relevant [life saving in some instances] and specific advice to users with visual impairment.

22. Conclusions • In this rapidly growing era of digitization, content is being increasingly converted into electronic data • Though the benefits of access are huge the old age habit of reading is fast disappearing even in the sighted • It is highly important for us to preserve the habit of reading more so in the visually impaired to help them read through touch • Many more Libraries should come forward to render such services

23. Thank You