Vision-Aid is set to stage its signature annual event in Littleton, MA on Sunday July 21st in the form of a spectacular Broadway style show titled “The Dancers Pledge”, which is set to rock New England. As in previous years, these unique shows have become a widely anticipated community event of New England summers for the past two decades.
This year is also special because it marks a key milestone for Vision-Aid which is celebrating 20 years of rehabilitating over 100,000 visually impaired across India, since its founding in 2004. Vision-Aid’s impact has been constantly accelerating since its inception and the team has a vision to achieve another 100,000+ in the next 3 years alone.
In a world often defined by its disparities, Vision-Aid stands as a beacon of hope, dedicated to rehabilitating those with incurable low vision conditions and blindness with painstaking and individualized rehabilitation. Vision-Aid collaborates with leading eye hospitals, blind schools, and community organizations to provide free or highly subsidized services to the underprivileged segments of Indian society.
Impactful Programs
Enabling
Vision-Aid provides essential services to the visually impaired, including Low Vision Screening, Assistive Devices, and Orientation & Mobility Training.
Educating
Vision-Aid offers 12 different streams of educational programs in which visually impaired learners receive tailored and customized mentoring in a range of skills that significantly improve both literacy and employability.
Empowering
Vision-Aid’s empowerment programs focus on holistic support and advocacy through counseling, outreach and community engagement.
Innovation
Vision-Aid has pioneered many new technologies and services to assist the visually impaired. An example of one such initiatives include the creation of a Digital Accessibility Testing and Training Center (DATTC) which provides high-quality digital accessibility testing services to Indian and global clients, creating employment opportunities. It’s affordable AI-Powered Smart Vision Glasses is another example of leading the way with technology.
Extensive Collaborations with Premier Eye Hospitals
Vision-Aid collaborates with renowned institutions to extend its reach and impact across India, including:
- Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai and 5 other locations in Tamil Nadu
- Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai and Kolkata
- L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad and Vizag
- Dr. Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital, Delhi
- Narayana Nethralaya, Bengaluru
- Community Eye Care Foundation, Pune
- Sitapur Eye Hospital and JLR Eye Hospital in UP
- Several other leading organizations across 34 locations in India
These partnerships enable Vision-Aid to scale its programs, ensuring wide-reaching impact.
Success Stories
There are thousands of success stories but just to highlight a few of them:
Megha Patangi, from Kolkata now in Bangalore, overcame visual impairment to become a company secretary and accessibility tester. She credits her success to family support and mentors at Vision-Aid. As a Vision-Aid trainer, Megha shares her knowledge and volunteers in the spoken English program, exemplifying dedication and resilience.
Samira Silveira from Goa pursued engineering despite visual impairment, completing a diploma in secretarial skills and gaining sales and administration experience. Learning screen reader technology, she became an NGO trainer, then a CISCO project coordinator while studying for her BCA. Excelling in Python through Vision-Aid, she now contributes as a teaching assistant and volunteer.
Nibin Mathews, despite losing his sight, completed a Bachelor’s in English and worked for Indian Railways. Vision-Aid’s training in programming led to his role as Accessibility Lead at Bosch. An international tennis champion and violinist, Nibin credits Vision-Aid for their crucial support in his success.
Bhargav Vaghasiya, from Gujarat, overcame blindness since 6th grade and dedicated himself to empowering visually impaired individuals. Skilled in Python programming and assistive technologies through Vision-Aid, he advocates for accessibility via workshops and mentoring. Apart from being a mentor and instructor, he also significantly contributes to Vision-Aid’s Digital Accessibility Training center as a lead in many global projects.
Ayush Jain, 22, suffered from deteriorating vision, impacting his daily life and independence. He enrolled in the Certified Computer Application and Mobile Technology course at Vision Aid. After completing his education Ayush returned to join Vision-Aid as a trainer, helping to teach other visually impaired students.
Arun Kumar’s journey showcases resilience and determination. Losing his vision in 2017 he persevered with support from family, friends, and Vision-Aid mentors. Excelling in Python programming and digital accessibility testing, he became a Senior Machine Learning engineer in a leading IT firm and volunteers now with Vision-Aid to mentor others.
A Legacy of Voluntary Leadership and Dedication to Service
Vision-Aid’s leadership team comprises highly talented and dedicated volunteer leaders drawn from a wide range of professions and business domains.
Vision for the Future
Over the past 20 years, a solid foundation has been laid for future growth. Vision-Aid’s impact has been accelerating rapidly and looking ahead, Vision-Aid aims to grow its portfolio of programs across India to reach another 100,000 in the next 3 years, and also prioritize two new areas: Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI) – the leading cause of childhood blindness in India, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) based solutions for the visually impaired.
About the July 21st event – The Dancers Pledge
The Dancer’s Pledge is a unique show featuring over 40 talented dancers and several dance teachers from New England, working under the guidance of renowned and award-winning dance choreographer and producer from India, Kalaimamani Madurai R. Muralidaran. Boston area dance teachers – Jeyanthi Ghatraju and Sripriya Natarajan Moorthy.
For more information about Vision-Aid, our programs, and upcoming events, please visit www.visionaid.org
