" BLINDNESS AWARENESS :Respect for the blind "

A visit to VEGA SCHOOLS along with Nidhi, with the aim to sensitize the students on how it feels to be not able to see and walk with a cane . 

The blindness awareness activity was conducted to foster student's understanding and acceptance for the blind. A path was chosen and the students were instructed to make groups of two, where one student from each group will close the eyes and the other would act as a guide, here the guide was not to pull but to walk with the partner holding his arm. With trust, each group performed actively.

The students thoroughly enjoyed and were constructively engaged.

Thanks to the Principal of VEGA SCHOOLS for such nice gestures and kind words.

Today, what I witnessed made me truely believe that how challenging it can be, yet they are still able to meet the hardships of life along with the will to survive. I rightly agree that fortune favours the Brave ! We should treat them normally and vouch for their assistance .It was a valuable, enriching experience .

Eye opener indeed!!

Some Moments of awareness..

Summer Project 2019 - Report

This year's summer project was one of the most productive Summer Projects that Esha has ever had.

Special Thanks to the Project Managers who managed this baton relay race so seamlessly that I had no idea when the project management changed!

They also managed volunteer selection, monitoring and reporting, and closure. Compared to the previous years, when our volunteers pick assignments and then drop out, this year, the sudden dropout number was very, very less. People were selected well, so they stuck to their assignments and the assignments were delivered high quality, on time, and with great professionalism.

The 3 main threads of this year's Summer Project were:

1. Content - Shreyas Kadam and Aprita Mary did an outstanding job of writing some high quality articles on the Esha blog.

2. Esha Research Project - Jainish Malhotra, Vikram Gaur, and Meenakshi Agarwal contributed to the secondary and primary research on this project. Their work was awe-inspiring because the insights that they picked up from the field, and their enthusiasm, can only be experienced, not described.

3. Voice Recording - This was, like every year, the most selected summer project option. This year, we laid special emphasis on career oriented content. So  you will now find previous years questions papers for upto the last 10 years for the following examinations:
A. SSC
B. NTPC
C. RRB
D. Civil Services Exam - Mains and Prelims
E. CLAT
F. CAT
G. SBI PO Exams


On the literature side, we added:
A. Viky Arya's poetry
B. Akbar Birbal in Marathi.
C. A story by Smita

And outside the Summer Project, Anil Bhagat ji, who is a long-time Friend of Esha, converted easy law (a long-pending dream of mine) from nyaaya.in to audio for our users.  He also converted the text of the entire Draft National Education Policy - 2019 (NEP-2019), so that the print disabled can give their feedback on the policy too. This initiative of his was much appreciated by Vasudha Kamat mam, who is part of the NEP Committee.

It was SUCH a pleasure to be a part of the Summer Project 2019. Here's to every year being like this, or better. :) 

Vedant Hingu's Blind Walk for his school project

Vedant Hingu (Grade 6 of Lancers School) had to do a social connect project at school. His mother got in touch with us and they decided to do a Blind Walk.

The Blind Walk was done at a club in Gurgaon and at the INA Metro Station, Delhi.

Here is his experience, in his own words: 
I conducted a blind walk at INA station on 11 September 2019. I was unsure of asking people to participate but I still tried. Some people asked me why am I doing this and some wanted to know if I want donation. When I told them that this activity is to create awareness about making people spaces available and safe for blind, they were still not very convinced. But once they did the walk (where they had to close their eyes and use only the cane for help)- they realised what I meant. I showed them what the tactile tiles are meant for. I pointed out how people had kept their luggage on the tactile tiles - blocking the way of the blind.  5 people did the blind walk today and I was happy that they realised how important it is. I wish more people would participate and help the blind

Explaining what the Blind Walk is about to the staff at the Club

Experiencing a Blind Walk 

At the INA Metro Station

Explaining why a Blind Walk is necessary to create inclusive citizens

And he has everyone's attention 

Braille Cards no longer part of Esha

You know that moment when you have invested years in nurturing something, and finally, it grows wings, and learns to fly?

That moment, I have now learnt, is a moment of deep personal satisfaction.

Chandrashekar and Venkatesh have incorporated a legal entity and are now fully capable of handing ALL braille cards related business. They have been running the business independently for many years now, and have literally hundreds of satisfied corporate clients.
Going forward, Esha will no longer be doing Braille cards under its banner. We will direct all enquiries to these bright young entrepreneurs, of course. :)

Online Audio Library Updated with files from Summer Project 2019 - 6908 files now

The online library has just been updated. We have retired quite a few files this time, and added over 120 files from the Summer Project 2019, making this one of our most productive Summer Project years yet.

A special shout out to the project managers who made the Summer Project 2019 possible - Atharva Kale, Vaishnavi Choppalli, and Nidhi Reddy. These 3 young students did a relay race and ensured that the summer project got effective project management with no gaps. Hats off, people. You convince us that the future is very bright. If you can do project management like a boss before seeing your 20th birthdays, you are definitely onto something super special.

Special thanks also to our summer project interns who helped create the catalog. Some of them contributed immensely to the research project of Esha - Understanding the Knowledge Acquisition Behaviour of the Knowledge Have Nots.

Most of the new files added in this release - over 300 of them, are in the areas of competitive exam content, as required by the network. There are also common Indian Laws, and the entire Draft Education Policy in Audio.

Please check out the new library at www.braillecards.org/audio.php

Draft National Education Policy 2019

Mr. Anil Bhagat, who has worked with VI since his youth, and continues to remain committed to the cause even after moving to the US, has very kindly done this.

Did you know that the National Education Policy has now been released by the Govt of India, and is accepting inputs from everyone till August 15th?

Here is the entire text of that policy, in audio. Do listen and provide your valuable feedback to the government. The link to give feedback is:
https://innovate.mygov.in/new-education-policy-2019/

The files are:

Draft National Education Policy Introduction https://tinyurl.com/y323r9xd 17 MB Draft National Education Policy Chapter 1 https://tinyurl.com/y4qhl37b 9.2 MB Draft National Education Policy Chapter 10 https://tinyurl.com/y3zg24gu 11 MB Draft National Education Policy Chapter 11 https://tinyurl.com/y4csn7zt 16 MB Draft National Education Policy Chapter 12 https://tinyurl.com/yyx2stef 15 MB Draft National Education Policy Chapter 13 https://tinyurl.com/y2dl4vuk 8.9 MB Draft National Education Policy Chapter 14 https://tinyurl.com/yx93wxhs 18 MB Draft National Education Policy Chapter  15 https://tinyurl.com/y2qr5koh 11 MB Draft National Education Policy Chapter 16 https://tinyurl.com/yxqakdaa 17 MB Draft National Education Policy Chapter 17 https://tinyurl.com/y3aman2j 11 MB Draft National Education Policy Chapter 18 https://tinyurl.com/y6f6r58m 15 MB Draft National Education Policy Chapter 19 https://tinyurl.com/y6fmoc37 19 MB Draft National Education Policy Chapter  2 https://tinyurl.com/y3wn456g 9.3 MB Draft National Education Policy Chapter  20 https://tinyurl.com/y6kvn5me 16 MB Draft National Education Policy Chapter 21 https://tinyurl.com/y58dj95u 12 MB Draft National Education Policy Chapter  22 https://tinyurl.com/y5q4u7hw 2.5 MB Draft National Education Policy Chapter  23 https://tinyurl.com/yxujskbd 4.9 MB Draft National Education Policy Chapter 3 https://tinyurl.com/y4a5khej 6.8 MB Draft National Education Policy Chapter  4 p1 https://tinyurl.com/y5bp3z4n 6.3 MB Draft National Education Policy Chapter 4 p2 https://tinyurl.com/y492c7cb 18 MB Draft National Education Policy Chapter  4 p3 https://tinyurl.com/yymqt94u 18 MB Draft National Education Policy Chapter  5 https://tinyurl.com/y29azwzw 25 MB Draft National Education Policy Chapter 6 https://tinyurl.com/yxkn599n 18 MB Draft National Education Policy Chapter 7 https://tinyurl.com/y6qxc8gl 18 MB Draft National Education Policy Chapter 8 https://tinyurl.com/yxmtlte6 20 MB Draft National Education Policy Chapter 9 https://tinyurl.com/y2pjnnwt 11 MB Please share as widely as possible!

PMI North India Chapter joins our research project

I am very glad to share that the PMI North India Chapter has joined the seminal research project that Esha is currently undertaking.

About 40 volunteers from the Chapter are likely to join the project from this weekend. The orientation is on this weekend. Looking forward! 

Impact of screens on long term eye sight by Arpita Mary

Impact of screens on long term eye sight

About 80 percent of American adults report using digital devices for more than two hours per day with nearly 67 percent using two or more devices simultaneously, and 59 percent report systems of digital eye strain.

Staring at screens for long periods of time can cause Computer Vision Syndrome, which can lead to two problems. First problem is dry eyes, caused by lack of blinking. When you are too engrossed in reading the screen, you forget to blink, thus causing blurry vision and discomfort. This is because you don’t allow the tear film on your eyes to re-establish.

The second problem is eye strain. This is because of the glare of the device that you are using. These bright lights or glare exhaust your eyes’ ability to focus.

Other than these, excessive use of computers/ digital devices can also cause burning, irritation, heavy or tired eyes, eye strain, or even tearing up (reflex response to the dryness). These, in effect, lead to eye strain, headaches, and even, stress.

Symptoms of eye dryness can be aggravated by a number of other exposures in our day to day lives. Contact lenses, medications such as antihistamines or antidepressants can cause eye dryness and low humidity environments such as office buildings with blowing air conditioning or heat can also cause eye irritation[1]. People with any of the above risk factors may experience eye symptoms with even minimal screen time.

Fortunately, this can be treated easily if you follow a certain lifestyle, which would include healthy eating and exercise. The most important exercise is to blink at regular intervals. You should also try to change your focus every few minutes, by looking at a farther distance, say 20 feet. Taking regular eye breaks is important for resting the eyes, blinking and limiting eye strain.

There are also some changes that you can incorporate at your work desk. Some of them are:-

·        sit about two feet away from a computer screen,

·        use a matte screen filter to reduce glare,

·        try using larger fonts, especially on your phones,

·        avoid using digital devices in dark rooms, or, use softer lighting to reduce the strain on eyes[2]

·        Consider having a humidifier in the office or close to your computer if the surrounding air is dry.

All these steps and regular meditation will help you in taking care of your eyes. And yes, don’t forget to blink!

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[1] http://theeverygirl.com/does-screen-time-actually-hurt-your-eyes/

[2] https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/electronic-screen-alert-avoid-this-vision-risk

Spectacles for children: Why has it become the common standard? by Arpita Mary Abraham

Spectacles for children: Why has it become the common standard?

Take a walk in your surrounding park and you will find scores of children wearing spectacles. Is this a new phenomenon? Was this the same case a decade or two earlier? If not, why has this become the new trend?

One of the reasons is the decreasing level of outdoor activities, which is a result of the increasing addiction to television, video games, tablets, and, of course, smart phones. This has been shown by a study in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, which has concluded that children may reduce their risk of developing myopia by spending more time outdoors[1]. Even though, genetics also affect eyesight, but controllable environmental factors such as playing video games also affect the likelihood of a child becoming short-sighted. In addition, scientists discovered that children born in the summer were more likely to develop  nearsightedness than their peers, a fact researchers credited to earlier entry into the education system, which is associated with changes to the shape of the eyeball linked to myopia.

Apart from the sedentary lifestyle, increased use of digital devices is also to blame for nearsightedness. But according to scientists, this risk can be offset by spending more time outside. However, parental anxiety, demanding homework schedules and the rise of electronic equipment are increasingly keeping children indoors.

There might also be some other reasons which might be quite different from an adults’. They might need spectacles to help straighten the eyes when they are crossed or misaligned, to help strengthen the vision of a weak eye (amblyopia), or to protect one eye when the other eye has poor vision[2].

 Apart from the uncontrollable factors, there are certain steps that can be followed to prevent eye problems like myopia in children. These include limiting the phone/ electronic device usage by setting a time for it everyday and making sure that the child watches TV from a safe distance, i.e., not too close. Also, one should make sure that the child wears sunglasses while outdoors to prevent the sun rays to stress the eyes. The most important step is to increase the time that they spend outdoors.

If these steps are followed on a regular basis and by having a healthy diet, the chances of a child having to wear spectacles would decrease by a big margin.

-Arpita Mary Abraham

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[1] https://www.theweek.co.uk/93139/myopia-why-do-so-many-children-need-glasses

[2] https://littleeyes.com/why-does-a-child-need-glasses/