Vision-Aid teams across 75 locations in India continued their dedicated efforts to support people with visual impairment, helping them lead lives of independence and dignity. Through more than 6,000 sessions and interventions, we served nearly 5,500 beneficiaries with visual impairment and through project CHASHMA nearly 19,213 children benefitted and weare pleased to share some of the inspiring stories and key milestones that made this quarter especially meaningful. Below is a snapshot of select initiatives that created lasting impact during this period.
Aravind Eye Hospital (Madurai, Tirunelveli, Tirupati, Pondicherry and Coimbatore):
Madurai: The resource center delivered pediatric and low vision services to nearly 700 beneficiaries through over 1,100 sessions. It strengthened capacity building through national and international initiatives, including an LVA training program in Vietnam that established three Vision Rehabilitation Centers. Key highlights include CME participation, assistive device distribution, and engagement with global experts.
Tirunelveli: Nearly 1,000 beneficiaries received pediatric and low vision services through 1,250 intervention sessions. The team also conducted outreach initiatives, including exhibitions and demonstrations of low vision devices such as AURA Vision Glass, along with interactive activities and distribution of learning materials for children with low vision and CVI, fostering awareness, creativity, and confidence.
Tirupati: The resource Center continues to support beneficiaries with low vision through counseling services and targeted interventions for children with cortical visual impairment.
Pondicherry: Around 290 beneficiaries received low vision and early intervention services at the Resource Center. Awareness programs on various occasions included educational displays and demonstrations on pediatric eye conditions, early detection, and the use of low vision devices for patients and caregivers.
Coimbatore: The Resource Center supported 1,170+ beneficiaries through low vision and early intervention services. Key highlights included an international presentation on CVI rehabilitation, contributions to CME 2025, a student observational visit, and feedback collection on the AURA vision device.
L.V. Prasad Eye Institute (Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Bhubaneswar):
Hyderabad: LVPEI Hyderabad center sustained its impact through professional training programs for professionals from new partner hospitals. A smartphone distribution initiative was conducted across LVPEI centers, with 34 smartphones distributed.
Visakhapatnam: The CVI Center at Visakhapatnam provides intervention sessions for children with CVI, covering vision therapy, speech therapy, physiotherapy, and special education. Children also received CVI training materials, spectacles, and nutritional supplements. In addition, 5 Smartphones were distributed to visually impaired beneficiaries.
Vijayawada: The resource center in LVPEI Vijayawada benefitted beneficiaries in terms of computer training, mobility training, vocational training, spoken English and personality developmental sessions. Smartphones were given to 5 beneficiaries.
Bhubaneswar: The Early Intervention Unit at LVPEI Bhubaneswar began its services by delivering interventions to 47 children with cortical visual impairment offering vision therapy, speech therapy, physiotherapy and special education. Tablets were also provided to support home-based training.
Project – CHASHMA, Sundargarh, Odisha: A comprehensive eye health initiative, an ongoing program in Sundargarh district, Odisha, screened over 19,213 children from schools and Anganwadi, dispensed nearly 198 spectacles, and referred children needing further care to secondary centers.
Dr. Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital, Delhi:
The Vision-Aid Resource Center supported nearly 350 beneficiaries, including around 150 from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, through services such as low vision assessment, assistive device training, orientation and mobility, Braille, spoken English, and smartphone distribution. Residential computer training programs continued to empower individuals with visual impairment while Job placement workshops prepared students with essential career skills and improved their readiness for inclusive employment and self-reliance.
Dr Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital, Vrindavan:
The resource center at Dr. Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital, Vrindavan supported over 30 children with CVI through 470+ sessions and interventions, including assessment, therapy, counselling, spectacles, and nutritional kits, while also conducting awareness programs and camps on early intervention for parents and the community.
Community Eye Care Foundation, Pune:
The Vision-Aid Resource Center at the Community Eye Care Foundation supported 150 beneficiaries through comprehensivelow vision assessments, counselling, outreach activities, device orientation, and distribution of low vision aids.
Voluntary Health Service, Chennai:
The Resource Center at the Voluntary Health Services continues to provide comprehensive low vision services and counselling and marked a key milestone with the inauguration of its Visual Rehabilitation Centre in October 2025 expanding holistic vision care. The center was subsequently visited by Mr. Ramakrishna Raju, Ms. Revathy Ramakrishna, Vision-Aid USA.
Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai:
The Vision-Aid Resource Center served over 1,130 beneficiaries, including 300 from underprivileged backgrounds, through low vision assessment and functional vision evaluation. Key highlights included the notable progress of a 6-year-old at the Vision Enhancement Clinic through integrated therapy, and a screening camp at the National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities that strengthened outreach and early identification among children.
Sankara Nethralaya, Kolkata:
Through comprehensive low vision services, the resource center reached around 140 beneficiaries, including 130 from underserved backgrounds, and conducted a screening camp at the National Institute of Locomotor Disabilities to identify, refer, and manage individuals with low vision.
Sitapur Eye Hospital, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh:
The Resource Center supported nearly 250 beneficiaries through low vision services, counselling, and assistive interventions including SVG training, with highlights including two inspiring success stories of 15- and 12-year-old students who are now pursuing their goals with greater confidence and independence.
Dr. JLR Eye Hospital, Uttar Pradesh:
The Resource Center at Dr. JLR Eye Hospital continues to make a meaningful impact by providing low vision assessments, training, and counselling to those in need. One inspiring highlight is the story of an elderly beneficiary who regained independence through early identification, proper assessment, and the use of low vision aids, demonstrating how timely intervention can significantly improve quality of life even in cases of irreversible visual impairment.
Narayana Nethralaya, Bengaluru:
The Vision-Aid Resource Center at Narayana Nethralaya supported over 330 beneficiaries through low vision services and early intervention, conducted a special school screening camp for children with cerebral visual impairment, and highlighted a success story of a 34-year-old beneficiary who achieved independent working ability with the support of low vision devices.
Sadguru Netra Chikitsalaya, Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh:
The Vision-Aid Resource Center at Sadguru Netra Chikitsalaya, Chitrakoot supported nearly 110 beneficiaries through low vision evaluations, counselling, educational sessions, and assistive devices, is establishing a dedicated low vision and rehabilitation center, and highlighted a success story of a 16-year-old boy whose quality of life, confidence, and outlook improved significantly with the use of low vision devices.
I Care Eye Hospital, Noida, Uttar Pradesh:
The resource center has supported numerous beneficiaries through low vision evaluations and device training, including sharing a success story of an individual whose vision improved significantly with the use of a low vision device.
Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal:
The resource center at Manipal Academy of Higher Education provides comprehensive low vision evaluations to beneficiaries with low vision. The resource center conducted screening camps across four locations in Udupi district, offered low vision assessments and assistive devices, and has launched a mobile screening and community rehabilitation van to expand services to a wider population.
Sri Sankaradeva Nethralaya, Guwahati, Assam:
The Vision-Aid Resource Center at Sri Sankaradeva Nethralaya, Guwahati focuses on comprehensive vision care and rehabilitation, serving beneficiaries , with its professional undergoing specialized low vision training, attending an awareness conference at LVPEI, Hyderabad, and conducting a screening camp at a blind school in Guwahati that benefited 24 individuals.
Key highlights from other programs across Vision-Aid:
Vision-Aid Project Springboard for blind schools:
Project Springboard by Vision-Aid focuses on empowering visually impaired students in India through technology, training and inclusive education. In recent quarter, the program expanded from 62 to 68 schools, adding new partner institutions and increasing student enrollment. It delivered computer education, communication training, and device donations across multiple states. Key highlights include student placement achievements, experiential activities like chocolate sales, quizzes, and participation in national competitions along with an MoU with the Braille Institute of America. Additionally, the Touch, Learn and Shine program distributed 1,150 tactile learning resources to 600 students across 22 schools, strengthening accessible and interactive learning nationwide.
Vision-Aid Training programs:
Initiated implementation of the AI Trainer for the Spoken English Program, strengthening technology-driven learning and personalized training delivery.
The STATs platform is now fully functional for training operations and administration. Internal testing with multiple user groups has been completed, and the platform has been shared with the Accessibility Team for mandatory accessibility compliance checks.
Achieved a significant milestone of impacting 900 beneficiaries through training programs.
Placement outcomes: Two candidates from the first batch of 2025 successfully secured employment:
Ramit Nayyar – Appointed as Clerk at SBI
Vedant – Selected as IBPS Probationary Officer (PO)
Under the Direct Training Support Program, assistive and digital devices were distributed to deserving beneficiaries:
59 Mobile Phones
21 Smart Vision Glasses (SVG)
22 Laptops
Vision-Aid Placement Updates:
- Strengthened employment readiness through improved screening, enrollment, and industry-aligned training, including Agentic AI programs and industry-led sessions.
- Expanded corporate partnerships with Nokia, Worldline, Concentrix, and Sarathee, leading to job analysis visits, employer interactions, and new hiring opportunities.
- Achieved strong placement outcomes with 32 candidates placed in the last quarter, bulk placements in Vizag, and up to 75% placement rates across training batches.
- Conducted industry engagement initiatives, including AI Day participation, and employer visits to enhance student exposure and career readiness.
- Successfully completed multiple sponsored training batches (NTPC, NAB, ATC), with nearly 50% of DAT students placed, and a new physical training batch launched in Chennai.
