Louis Braille gave the gift of independence and the joy of reading to thousands of people around the world. Born in a small town called Coupvray in Paris on 4th January 1809, Loius was only 3 years old when he entered his father’s home based leather goods making workshop and damaged his left eye with an awl – a sharp tool for making holes, while playing with it. The eye got completely infected within days and the infection damaged other eye also thus Louis was completely blind by both eyes. But very intelligent and keen to learn things Louis got full support from family and community. He was admitted to Royal Institution for blind on basis of a special scholarship. But even there, most of the teachers just talked the students without following proper technique of education for the blind children. There was a library in the institutions, which contained 14 huge books with raised letters but were very hard to read. Various people from civil society visited the institution, in 1821; a former soldier named Charles Barbier visited the institution. Barbier shared his invention called "night writing," a code of 12 raised dots that let soldiers share top-secret information on the battlefield by the sense of touch without even having to speak. Unfortunately, the code was too hard for the soldiers, but not for 12-year-old Louis Braille. Louis at once reduced Barbier's 12 dots into 6, ironed out the system by the time he was 15, then published the first-ever Braille book in 1829. But his special efforts didn’t stop there. In 1837, he added symbols for math and music. Even at the Royal Institution, where Louis taught after he graduated, Braille wasn't taught until after his death. Braille began to spread worldwide in 1868, when a group of British men, now known as the Royal National Institute for the Blind, took up the mission literacy for the blind. That is why January 4 – the birth day of Louis Braille is celebrated as the International Braille day for Blind.

Six dots, in the shape of bumps in different patterns, like constellations, spreading out over the page, make Numbers, letters, and words. One feels the dots and learns alphabets, words and sentences.



Now the Braille, daisy formats, audio softwares with Information communication technology [ICT] has opened the gateways for the blind people to read and write. But all of us get stunt to know that as per Census 2001 our state Jammu and Kashmir has 302670 persons with disabilities out of which 2,08,713 persons face disability in seeing. The coming census report on disability is expected to be more alarming and astonishing. But in the state our brothers and sisters facing blindness are still struggling for seeking education. They are forced to live a life of dependence and isolation. As per WHO reports around 285 million people are visually impaired globally: 39 million are blind and 246 million people have low vision. About 90% of the worlds visually impaired live in developing countries. In developing countries, 60% of children die within a year of going blind. About 65 % of all people who are visually impaired are aged 50 and older, while this age group comprises about 20 % of the world's population. With an increasing elderly population in some countries, more people are at risk of age-related visual impairment.


For the last ten years WHO has worked with the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness in the global initiative "Vision 2020: the Right to Sight". That means there should be zero blindness up to the year 2020. But it seems impossible. There are few hospitals in our state where standard ophthalmic checkups are done by the appropriate qualified doctors. As we go down towards sub-district hospitals and primary health centres only ophthalmic assistants or eye technicians treat the every person having visual defects. There is lack of infrastructure at the district hospitals so no required surgeries are done. Private clinics are full of patients and various doctors conduct surgeries in the private hospitals earning sound amounts thus. Poor patients prefer to be blind than to underwent debts for a corrective surgery.
In recent disability assessment camps organised by department of Education under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan funding for CWSN component, out of around 8000 children with special needs in a district more than 3000 were having visual impairments. The children with low vision problems get their sight deteriorated day by day and finally they become blind like Yasmeena of chee Anantnag, Zakia of Bijbehara, yawar of Anantnag, Irfan from Anantnag and Saima of Bijbehara Anantnag. Yasmeena now 38 is an Artisan, feeding herself and her old-aged widow mother. But thanks to Zaiba Aapa institute of inclusive Education Bijbehara where rest of the sight loosers, earlier dropouts from the government schools are now seeking education with the help of Braille system and computer education with jaws software facility. But Nazima a student of class 9th in the educational zone Anantnag needs corneal transplantation to maintain his sight. She has been struggling with the black board education but is losing her sight day by day with all compromises.
It is very sad to mention that Jammu and Kashmir has no separate eye hospital, school for the blind people and no where Braille education system exist in any institution except few special schools where handful of children with blindness seek education with the help of Braille slates. As per the Judgement given (on 16/09/2009) by Honourable Justice Manmohan to a writ petition No: W. P (C) 6771/08 submitted by Social Jurist - a civil Rights group in Delhi High Court, Every school in Delhi is bind to appoint at least a special educator in order to cater the education of children with disabilities. But our state can’t claim we have produced a matriculate or graduate with blindness in any school.
Yasir of Nawakadal Srinagar got admission to P.G programme in Kashmir University but was forced to leave the course because University of Kashmir failed to provide accessible learning material to the visually impaired student. Now Yasir is seen around the Vocational rehabilitation centre for persons with disabilities, waiting for the jaws software to be installed in the VRC computers and start computer trainings there with talking facilities in computers there, if possible. His two sisters also face same problem. One fought hard with the situations and completed graduation other couldn’t survive in the class room and left studies in 2nd standard. Umar the only brother of Yasir is struggling in class 12th. We all brothers and sisters have severe blindness and we couldn’t find any school in the vicinity to get education with appropriate learning System. Now Yasir and his Sister want to seek admission in B.Ed course but who will provide them audio material to listen and learn the lessons?
Aisha and khadija name changed from a village in Anantnag are living a life of isolation and regret. Both around 30 years of age regret why they were born? No doctor suggested our parents to rehabilitate us, the blind ladies lament. The youngest one says, I was admitted to a special school in Srinagar and thereafter to another institute where I learnt the basic Braille with small aged children. As I have crossed my school going age hence my interest was not developed in reading and writing. My sister and I, both need vocational training become self reliant. The elder sister says, I am not too much mobile hence developed diabetes. I am not able to enjoy my life. My parents and other relatives even call us with odd names, “Hey blinds come join us. We are totally living a life with underestimates and stigmas, she said but we are capable if trained. Doctors advise us to be mobile but our family members never cooperate us but discourage when we talk of going outside. We both are waiting for death, they added in one voice. Hope somewhere in our locality a vocational training centre is started to train us in purposeful vocation.
Abhinanda home was known for its services towards disable people. A big plot of land donated by a Hindu Saint for the welfare of disable people, in the heart of city – Solina Srinagar became the victim of ignorance. The only school for deaf and mute students is at the verge of closure. Various Ministers visit the place, announce some cash grants for the school and never peep back what is going on? The school compound already encroached by security forces and rest full of ditches and not maintained. Few ruined buildings and untidy rooms contain deaf and mute children accompanied by some normal children from poor families. The conversion of special school into the inclusive school is no way concept of inclusion but to collect some revenue to pay the teachers there. Few rooms are occupied by some blind adults who earlier got trainings of Braille and making chairs and chalks. But now out of date trades the blind people are only fed there as parasites without any future career planning. It would have been better if Social Welfare or education department of our state will adopt the school and provide special education for deaf, mute and blind students there.
Various rich parents prefer to send their blind children out of state to seek education with Braille facilities. Most of them excel in the field of education. Saniya Zehra from Srinagar defeated the blindness when she parted the family at the age of 11 and joined National institute for visually handicapped Dehradun for her career. She was admitted to class 5th and with the help of Braille medium of education she secured 89% marks in class 10th. Her family gave a number of sacrifices to build her career.
Born in Noorbagh area of Sopore, Mohammad Shafi Raddu became blind at the age of six due to attack of a dreadful disease small pox. Shafi was sent to a school estabilished by the government in Kathidarwaza Srinagar. He was able to pass the 10th standard with the help of Braille system but the school was closed in 1975, Shafi said. Then hunting for the livelihood Shafi worked hard. Finally a Banglore based watch factory HMT unit at Srinagar employed him for fitting wrists in the watches. With few promotions he took voluntary retirement with designation as works supervisor in the factory. Shafi remembers his bad time when personal manager in the Company denied his promotion, saying that Shafi is blind and has used Braille technique for seeking education. But with the intervention of head office he was promoted. In 1981 with the recommendations of the Company Shafi was given National Award by the hands of then President of the country, Dr. Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy.
Nobody can under estimate a person with disability. In the Holy Quran’s, the story of Abdullah Ibn Umm Maktoom was described in the first sixteen verses of Sura [Chapter] Abasa. He is one of the Prophet Muhammad’s companions who were born blind. Abdullah Ibn Umm Maktoom came to Prophet Muhammad and asked him to read a verse from the Qur'an. He said, “O messenger of Allah, teach me from what Allah has taught you.” The Prophet frowned and turned away from him. He turned his attention instead to the prestigious group of Quraysh (the same tribe of the Prophet Muhammad), hoping that they would become Muslims and that by their acceptance of Islam they would bring greatness to the religion of Allah and strengthen his mission. As soon as he had finished speaking to them and had left their company, Prophet suddenly felt partially blinded and his head began to throb violently. At this point the revelation came to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) that is Surrah Abasa.
Our state too can utilize Blind people intelligentsia. We have number of blind men and women like Louis Braille who can contribute in social development but they are hidden in the homes not given rights.

Javed Ahmad Tak
Disability Activist
Honorary Chairman
Humanity Welfare Organization Helpline NGO
jsocialactivist@gmail.com
9469064964