It is the time of the year when many look for calendars for the newly dawned year, either for personal use or as a gift. Visually impaired and low-vision people can now find a readable calendar of their own. The Employers’ Federation of Ceylon Specialised Training & Disability Resource Centre offers free pocket Braille and large print calendars every year.
“It is very important for vision impaired
persons to expand their Braille-reading skills. The only method to evaluate the
literacy rate of vision impaired persons is Braille. “Literacy is so important. There are talking
devices, but there is nothing quite like the written word. It is so important
for blind children and adults to learn to read, just as it is important for
sighted people to read. EFC Braille calendars are an absolute must for any
blind adult or child on the go. They are fast, easy to use, efficient and a
real necessity today.
The EFC Specialised Training &
Disability Resource Centre for Persons with Disabilities removes barriers,
creates solutions and expands possibilities, so that the visually-impaired can
achieve their full potential.
The Braille calendars are distributed free among EFC trainees and other vision impaired persons in all corners of the country.
Presenting the first Braille calendar to the Director General of EFC
Handing over a calendar to a vision impaired personHanding over a calendar to a vision impaired person
Vision impaired persons use the white cane as an eye. The sense of touch is felt by the tip of the white cane and thereby through sense they find their way. During the Second World War large number of soldiers became vision impaired. During that period Mr. Richard E. Hoover invented the white cane to rehabilitate the soldiers. Since then the white cane is used around the world as an assistive device for vision impaired persons.
In 1969 The International Federation of the Blind which is now known as the World Blind Union had its annual general meeting at Galle Face Hotel in Sri Lanka. At that meeting it was decided to declare 15 October as the International White cane Day. Since then each year on 15 October the International White Cane Day is celebrated around the world.
The white cane is divided into three parts. 01. The grip The grip is the top part of the white cane and it is made out of rubber so that it is shock proof. 02. The Shaft The shaft is the middle part of the white cane which is made out of one inch aluminum pipe. 03. The Tip Bottom part of the white cane is called the tip which is made out of nylon rod.
Using the White Cane
The colour of the white cane is white
because it can be seen at a longer distance for sighted persons. 6 inches from
the bottom of the white cane is coloured in red to indicate that it is a blind
person. 18 inches from the bottom is coloured in red in order to indicate that
it is used by a deaf blind person. The weight of a white cane is 230 to 280g.
A white cane helps a vision impaired person to go to the destination he wants independently, safely and with the minimum period of time. When a vision impaired person takes a white cane into his hand, he or she should decide where am I? where should I go and how I am going. Gate pattern is very important to walk with the white cane, which consist of body balance and the walk pattern. When you keep the left leg forward the tip of the white cane should touch the right edge of the body width. There are technics for ascending, descending, walk through narrow ways, gliding, find gateways, walk through payments, crossing the road etc. It is very important a vision impaired person to be independent with a white cane. Otherwise they will become double dependent.
Braille papers are
important for vision impaired persons to write Braille in a Braille slate and
in the Braille Writer. It is a thick paper which assist to write Braille which
will last a long period of time.
Braille Papers & White Cane
The Inner Wheel Club of Colombo together with The Employers’ Federation of Ceylon, Specialised Training & Disability Resource Centre donated Braille papers and white canes for vision impaired persons in October 2021 to mark the International White Cane day.
Logos of the SponsorsBeneficiary of a white cane and Braille papersParticipants on ScreenLogo of the Sponsor
Beneficiary of a white cane and Braille papers
Conducting the ProgrammePacks to be dispatched to Vision Impaired PersonsConducting the ProgrammeBeneficiary of a white cane and Braille papersConducting the ProgrammePacks to be dispatched to Vision Impaired PersonsParticipants on ScreenPacks to be dispatched to Vision Impaired PersonsBeneficiary of a white cane and Braille papersParticipants on ScreenSession in ProgressSession in ProgressBanner
MANIQUE GUNARATNE Advisory Board Member – 18+ Alliance for Care Leavers (SOS Children’s Village)
The Sri Lankan Election Commission has been taking a series of initiatives in promoting inclusive elections by extending accessible facilities for persons with disability and other vulnerable groups for the last decade. For example, in selected polling divisions they carried out a survey on the needs of electors with disabilities on identifying the barriers faced by electors when they come to exercise their franchise. As a result of this study Island, wide initiatives were taken to improve the accessibility of those electors in the polling centres. The polling centres were equipped with temporary ramps etc. Discussions are going on to simplify the process in the voting system. As another initiative, the Department of elections printed their leaflets in accessible formats. Ms. Manique Gunaratne of The Employers’ Federation of Ceylon, Specialised Training & Disability Resource Centre handed over the leaflets printed in Braille in April 2022 to the Department of Elections to be distributed among vision impaired persons in all corners of Sri Lanka.
Handing over Braille leafletsHanding over Braille leafletsHanding over Braille leaflets
Handing over Braille leaflets
MANIQUE GUNARATNE Vice President – Sri Lanka Foundation for Rehabilitation of the Disabled
It is the time of the year when many look for calendars for the newly dawned year, either for personal use or as a gift. Visually impaired and low-vision people can now find a readable calendar of their own. The Employers’ Federation of Ceylon Specialised Training & Disability Resource Centre offers free pocket Braille and large print calendars every year.
“It is very important for vision impaired persons to expand their Braille-reading skills. The only method to evaluate the literacy rate of vision impaired persons is Braille. “Literacy is so important. There are talking devices, but there is nothing quite like the written word. It is so important for blind children and adults to learn to read, just as it is important for sighted people to read. EFC Braille calendars are an absolute must for any blind adult or child on the go. They are fast, easy to use, efficient and a real necessity today.
The EFC Specialised Training & Disability Resource Centre for Persons with Disabilities removes barriers, creates solutions and expands possibilities so that the visually impaired can achieve their full potential. The Braille calendars are distributed free among EFC trainees and other vision impaired persons in all corners of the country.
Handing over a Braille calendar to a vision-impaired personHanding over a Braille calendar to a vision-impaired personHanding over a Braille calendar to a vision-impaired personHanding over a Braille calendar to a vision-impaired person
MANIQUE GUNARATNE Vice President – Sri Lanka Foundation for Rehabilitation of the Disabled
Ms. Devinka Wickramaratne of University of Moratuwa with the support of Ms. #Manique Gunaratne from The Employers’ Federation of Ceylon, Specialized Training & Disability Resource Centre developed a Smart Cane for vision impaired persons. This Smart Cane project recently won an award for the Best Innovative University Project in the Western Province, at the 2021 SLASSCOM National Ingenuity Awards.
Watch the video:
Ms Manique Gunaratne Country Representative – World Disability and Rehabilitation Professionals’ Association (WDRPA)
