Braille represented for the first time at Chennai Book Fair
The content in Braille ranges from Sangam and Bhakthi literature to government orders for the rights of the visually impaired.
Bharathi Trust’s stall at the Chennai Book Fair in YMCA grounds
CHENNAI: As avid readers flood the halls of the 48th Chennai Book Fair in Nandanam, one cannot miss the stall set by K Kumar, an associate professor in the Department of Tamil at Presidency College, and Manikandan, his student, both are visually impaired.
The stall, located right at the first entrance of the fair, runs under ‘Bharathi Trust,’ an Adambakkam-based foundation for visually impaired persons.
The stall houses 120 Braille books, and the books written by visually impaired people are for sale. The content in Braille ranges from Sangam and Bhakthi literature to government orders for the rights of the visually impaired.
The rest of the books are authored by visually impaired people. The 47-year-old professor has written 12 books, covering themes like politicians, TRB exam and Vallalar. They are written using the software recommended for visually impaired people.
“This stall is set up to give awareness about Braille writing and to educate about the visually impaired writers. Blind people are often looked upon with sympathy by others, and we want to educate people about their hidden talents,” said Kumar.
“Stalls featuring braille books are set up at the Chennai Book Fair for the first time so people can recognise their literature,” said SK Murugan, secretary of BAPASI.
Kumar completed his higher studies and completed his PhD at the Presidency College and became a teacher through the TRB exam in 2007.
He says that he has been passionate about social service since his student days, which pushed him to become the secretary for the College Students and Graduates Association of Blind secretary for two years. He decided to continue it and has brought many initiatives for visually impaired students to be provided with Braille textbooks.
“Presidency College gives importance to the differently abled people, and around 100 people graduate every year, supported by the Tamil Nadu government. Bharathi Trust takes care of 10 visually impaired college girls each year and provides them with stay and education under Bharathi Illam in Adambakkam for those who cannot afford accommodation. They are also given training for exams like TNPSC, UPSC, and TRB to have a secure future,” Kumar added.