By:-

Farhana Khan,
MMCJ,
Gujarat University.

Report On Blind People’s Association

Date:- 21-08-2010.
Day:- Saturday.

There are many Non-Government Organizations working all around the world to
make the life of deprived people worth living. Likewise, the Blind People’s
Association is a pro-active organization working with and for persons from all
categories of disabilities for their education, vocational training, placement, and
rehabilitation.

The BPA, Ahmedabad, Gujarat is largest blind welfare organization in the country.
It aims to provide a variety of need based programmes for the comprehensive
development of the visually impaired persons as well as persons with all other
categories of disability, namely hearing, impairment, orthopedic impairment as
well as mental retardation.

BPA is associated with local organizations in a number of states across India.

These organizations are guided and counseled to perform similar services in their
areas for the widespread development for disabled children. The organization has
developed a variety of services on promotion of education, community based
rehabilitation, and provision of support services to the disabled persons.

The people in BPA believe that all people with disabilities have the right to
education, equal opportunity, employment, inclusion, and the same quality of life
as their non-disabled counterparts. Their vision is that all persons from all kinds of
disabilities will get access to individual need based services as a matter of right,
will have a good quality of life and will be an indivisible element of their
communities and the nation.

The visit was started by the tour given by Kshama Shah, one of the volunteers of
BPA. She gave a comprehensive tour and a brief explanation of each and every
section. The BPA runs many schools for the blind like Shri K. N. Desai Adult
Training School for the Blind, which is supported by the Department of Social
Justice and Empowerment. It gives primary education up to 7 th standard to adult
blind; Nandini Ramesh Gandhi School of Physiotherapy, which is supported by the
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. It admits 27 students from all over
India for the two year course recognized by the Higher Secondary Education
Board.

Moreover, BPA is also associated with the Lions Clubs, which supports several
projects like Hostel for Blind and Disabled Women, Teachers Training Course for
the Blind, Music School for the Blind to name a few.

The BPA provides job oriented courses in Industrial Training Institute, which is
recognized by the Department of Employment and Training under SCVT pattern
and a total of 558 disabled students benefited from it. The CAMA Computer
Training Centre for the Blind and Disabled is well equipped with computers,
printers, voice synthesizer, special software for the visually impaired, reading
edge, and a Braille computer. The Dahiben Stenography Course for the Blind
trains the students in English and Gujarati typing and shorthand. The Shirin Cyrus
Dalal Telephone Operating and Receptionist Course for the Disabled gives training
on operation of PBX, EAPBX, and key phones. The Arti Mrugesh Doctor Hair and
Skin Care Centre teaches hair and skin care to disabled girls.

Apart from this, the visit was highly knowledgeable and on the other hand, it was
poignant too. After the completion of tour, lunch was offered by BPA to all the
students. Subsequently, there were some speakers from BPA, who addressed on
the laws of disability, role of media in disability, and recent developments in
disability developments in it’s auditoria.

Ms. Vimal Thawani, the Project Manager of BPA was the first to speak. She gave
an overview about how the disabled people suffer but can live happily. She
demonstrated the world of darkness and disablement by making all the students
play two games, in which they were divided into pairs. In the first game, a partner
was blindfolded and was asked to walk just outside the auditoria with the help of
his/her partner and come back. In the second game, a partner has to relate an
incident from his life without speaking to his/her partner. All the students
participated enthusiastically.
Later on, Dr. Bhushan Punani took over. He is an Executive Director of BPA. He
talked about the disability laws and recent growing in disability developments.
Over the last two decades, the protection of persons with disabilities was made
mandatory with the passing of certain legislations including the Persons With
Disability Act (1995) and the Mental Health act (1987). Employment, education
and creating a non-discriminating environment for all persons with disabilities
were some of the rights that are given special attention here.

The main issue that comes up revolves around reservation of seats in educational
institutions. People have approached the Courts questioning non-reservation of
seats, improper reservations (unequal distribution of seats for all categories of
disabilities), procedure in selecting candidates within reserved category,
relaxation of examination timings and provision of scribe for visually impaired
candidates etc. Hence, the Court has passed an order in favor of disabled persons.

Finally, Ms. Nandini Rawal, the Treasurer of BPA, discussed about the role of
media in disability issues with the help of a PowerPoint presentation. Till now,
media has only sporadically focused on disability issues. Media often does not
view disability issues as ‘newsworthy’. Besides, advocates from the disability
sector also have not sufficiently ‘highlighted their causes’ with the public. There is
a need for better networking between disability sector and media as a strategy to
improve advocacy of disability issues through media. Media can also dedicate
space and correspondents to deal with development issues in a sustained
manner. Vernacular press needs to be encouraged to cover development issues
for consumption in rural areas. Communities should also be encouraged to
produce their own programmes.

Furthermore, the BPA also works to provide services for persons from all
categories of disabilities; to empower and encourage the disabled to be self-
reliant; the production and free distribution of assistive devices like crutches,
calipers, wheelchairs, mobility devices etc.; to prevent the blindness and disability
like cataract and polio surgery; to provide services for the aged in the slums of
Ahmedabad; services for the mentally retarded, mentally ill; services for the
multiple disabled and deaf blind; community based rehabilitation services for the
disabled in villages all over Gujarat and education of disabled children with
normal children all over the world.