Odisha Govt Printed Limited Number Of Braille Calendars, Blind People To Face Problems

The Odisha government has printed only 2,000 Braille calendars in Odia this year which will compel most of the visually-challenged people of the state to depend on others to access calendars, the president of an organisation that works for the blind said.

Unveiled by Ganjam District Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange, the calendar is printed at the Red Cross computerised Braille printing press here, the only one of its kind in the state, an official said.

There are over 10,000 visually-impaired people in Odisha and several organisations, special schools and libraries for them, he said.

But, the government has printed only 2,000 calendars in the Braille format this year, he said.

It is too little to cater to the visually-challenged people in the state, Odisha Blind Foundation (OBF) president Bijay Rath said.

The concept of printing Braille calendars in Odia was first mooted by OBF some years ago as visually-impaired persons faced difficulty in reading the usual calendars, Rath said.

The 16-page calendar has been prepared with support from the Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Department (SSEPD).

Though we had printed limited copies (400-1,500) for some years, we had urged the state government to print more copies for ensuring that every educated visually challenged person gets one, the OBF president said.

The calendar, which marks all important dates of festivals, government holidays, also features quotes on each page.

On the last page of the calendar, the dos and don'ts to prevent the spread of coronavirus have been printed, said Prakash Narayan Rath, manager of the Braille printing press.

The calendars have been sent to special schools, libraries, colleges and universities, hostels, and government departments.