Various Vision-Aids teams on the ground are doing some incredible work. In just the second quarter of 2019, Vision-Aid offered a total of 684 interventions to the visually impaired across its programs in 10 locations and online. Some highlights of Vision-Aid’s work on the ground are listed below:
Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai
At the Aravind Eye hospital, 59 kids from two schools for the differently abled children and 28 individuals with acute vision impairment were provided Vision-Aid’s one-week Introduction to computer training course. 20 others were trained in Orientation & Mobility. 18 infants and children with vision impairment underwent vision enhancement treatment. 51 patients with low vision were provided with assistive devices.
Sankara Netralaya, Chennai
In the second quarter of 2019, 50 patients underwent counselling. 31 patients underwent Vision training and early intervention. 33 other patients underwent training in Access Technologies and 19 patients got training in O&M. 47 patients received spectacles which included magnifying glasses for reading., 46 patients received optical devices for low vision enhancement. The new Vision-Aid resource center established in January 2019, is picking up pace rapidly.
Milton , Berhampur, Odisha
16 visually impaired students underwent training, at the center in Berhampur, in Computer applications. They earend either Certificates or Diplomas. They are currently undergoing O&M training at the Nethra Blind School, Hyderabad. 100 visually impaired students successfully took final exams for grade 11th and 12th using laptops. Results have come in for 65% of students who took the basic exams, and all have passed. Results are awaited for the other 35% students. A noteworthy feature was that students used their own laptops and did not depend on scribes to take the exams. 20 students are scheduled to undergo Vision-Aid Diploma in Computer Applications Training the third quarter of 2019.
Nethra Blind School, Rishikonda
At Rishikonda, 25 grade 8th and 9th visually impaired students continued computer education from Vision-Aid. 20 students continued training in music, organized under the Vision-Aid program
Vision-Aid Vizag Center
At the Vizag center 38 teachers underwent special training in ACA course. 8 Visually impaired students completed certificate or diploma courses. The center also started training programs in bank and govt. sector coaching. The center received recognition from the Govt. of Andra Pradesh to become a certified training center for the visually impaired and for the implementation of the Maskati Scholarship program, which commenced in July.
Online Endeavors
The Vision-Aid online academy continued training its current batch of students in Python programming. The pilot programs in Spoken English is also in progress. A new course in Accessibility Testing, to commence in August 2019, is currently being planned.
