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Awards and recognitions: archive link repair, may include: archive.* -> archive.today, and http->https for ghostarchive.org and archive.org (wp:el#Specifying_protocols)

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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = J. L. Kaul
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1944|07|28}}
| birth_place = [[Kashmir]], [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)|Jammu and Kashmir]], India
| death_date =
| death_place =
| restingplace =
| restingplacecoordinates =
| othername = Jawahar Lal Kaul
| occupation = Indian social worker
| yearsactive =
| spouse =
| domesticpartner =
| children =
| parents =
| influences =
| influenced =
| website = {{URL|http://www.aicb.org.in/|All India Conference of the Blind}}
| awards = [[Padma Shri]] [[Louis Braille]] Medal Marga Schulze Award FICCI National Award Thomas Memorial National Award World Human Rights Promotion Award T. P. Jhunjhunwala Award NCPEDP – Shell Helen Keller Award R. M. Alpaiwala Memorial Award
}}
'''Jawahar Lal Kaul''' is an [[Indian people|Indian]] social worker and the founder of the All India Conference of the Blind, an NGO working towards the rehabilitation of the blind.<ref name="WBU" /> He was honoured by the [[Government of India]], in 2014, which bestowed on him the [[Padma Shri]], the fourth highest civilian award, for his services to the field of arts.<ref name="Padma">{{cite web|url=http://www.pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=102735 |title=Padma Awards Announced |publisher=Press Information Bureau, Government of India |work=Circular |date=25 January 2014 |access-date=23 August 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6NEu2cjx3?url=http://www.pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=102735 |archive-date=8 February 2014 }}</ref>

==Biography==
{{quotebox|align = right|width=21em|"The biggest challenge for visually impaired students is availability of textbooks in Braille." – J. L. Kaul, about the state of affairs on the opportunities for blind people<ref name="Amway">{{cite web | url=http://www.amway.com.do/es/ResourceCenterDocuments/Visitor/ctzn-amw-pres-v-es--NationalProjectfortheBlindIndia.pdf | title=Amway | publisher=Amway | date=2014 | access-date=27 September 2014}}</ref>}}

Jawahar Lal Kaul was born as a sighted child on 28 July 1944, in [[Sri Nagar]], in the [[Himalayan Mountains|Himalayan]] state of [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)|Jammu and Kashmir]], India.<ref name="AICB bio">{{cite web | url=http://www.aicb.org.in/padmaShriJLKaul.html | title=AICB bio | publisher=AICB | date=2014 | access-date=27 September 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150201201232/http://www.aicb.org.in/padmaShriJLKaul.html | archive-date=1 February 2015 | url-status=dead }}</ref> He lost his eyesight following a [[smallpox]] attack at the age of five. However, he studied at a local school and graduated in Sanskrit, with gold medal from the [[Punjab University, Chandigarh|Punjab University]], in 1967, standing first in the BA examination.<ref name="AICB bio" />

In the mid-sixties, Kaul moved to Delhi with a view to do something for the rehabilitation of blind people. In Delhi, he set up the Training and Rehabilitation Centre for the Blind in 1967, and served as its secretary. With the organization to support, he played an active role is the establishment of the National Federation of the Blind, reported to be the first national level self-help organization for the blind in India,<ref name="AICB bio" /> and was its founding secretary. He continued in the post until 1978 when he turned his attention to the setting up of an organization on a larger scale.<ref name="AICB bio" />

In 1980, Kaul founded the All India Confederation of the Blind (AICB),<ref name="CBM India">{{cite web | url=http://www.cbmindia.org.in/programmes/All-India-Confederation-of-the-Blind-266738.php | title=CBM India | publisher=CBM India | date=2014 | access-date=27 September 2014}}</ref> an [[NGO]]<ref name="Disability Directory" /> operating out of a small rented office with a capital of {{INR}} 300.<ref name="AICB bio" /> The organization, over the years, has grown into a nationwide institution, with own campus and branches across the country, becoming the largest [[braille]] production centre in the country.<ref name="CBM India" /><ref name="Disability Directory">{{cite web | url=http://www.disabilitydirectory.in/disability-directory/organisations/ngo/all-india-confederation-of-the-blind-aicb.html | title=Disability Directory | publisher=Disability Directory | date=2014 | access-date=27 September 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227205331/http://www.disabilitydirectory.in/disability-directory/organisations/ngo/all-india-confederation-of-the-blind-aicb.html | archive-date=27 February 2014 | url-status=dead }}</ref> AICB caters to the braille requirement of 10 states in India, with regard to their college and school textbooks. The organization also runs a science laboratory and a resource centre, providing opportunities to visually impaired people to have facilities on a par with sighted students.<ref name="AICB bio" /><ref name="CBM India" />

AICB, under the guidance of Kaul, operates a modern school in [[Gurgaon]] for blind children.<ref name="CBM India" /> Its activities include:<ref name="CBM India" /><ref name="Disability Directory" />
* An audio library
* Hostel for blind girls
* Rural rehabilitation programmes in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh
* Interest-free loans to blind persons for self-employment ventures
* Pensions for elderly blind people
* Braille equipment banking
* Publication of braille journals

In order to generate employment for the visually impaired, Kaul has set up stenography and IT training centres under the aegis of AICB. The organization also conducts regular eye camps for the prevention of blindness. They also partner with other organizations on projects such as providing braille books for students, and have set up a corpus to provide scholarships for blind students.<ref name="CBM India" /><ref name="AICB bio" /><ref name="Amway" />

Kaul was the executive secretary of the East Asia Committee of the International Federation of the Blind from 1977 to 1985. He served as the Secretary General of the [[World Blind Union]] for two terms, from 2000 to 2012.<ref name="AICB bio" /> He was the Chairman of the Credential Committee of the Asian Blind Union<ref name="ABU">{{cite web | url=http://www.abunion.org/ | title=ABU | publisher=ABU | date=2014 | access-date=27 September 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214165017/http://www.abunion.org/ | archive-date=14 December 2014 | url-status=dead }}</ref> and a member of the Credential Committee of the World Blind Union. He also served as the Chairperson of the World Braille Council from 2009 to 2012,<ref name="AICB bio" /> of which he is an honorary life member.<ref name="AICB bio" />

==Awards and recognitions==
Kaul was honoured by the [[Government of India]] awarding him the [[Padma Shri]] in 2014, in recognition of his efforts for society.<ref name="Padma" /> He was a recipient of the [[Louis Braille|Louis Braille Medal]] in 2012, the highest honour awarded by the World Blind Union. Kaul was the first recipient of the award from a developing country.<ref name="WBU">{{cite web | url=https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.494829677205996.109151.364046593617639&type=3 | title=WBU | publisher=WBU | work=2012 | access-date=27 September 2014}}</ref>
* Marga Schulze Award - Dr. H. E. Schulze and Marga Schulze Foundation - 2006<ref name="AICB bio" />
* FICCI National Award for best service to the blind in training and rehabilitation - [[FICCI]]<ref name="AICB bio" /><ref name="AICB awards">{{cite web | url=http://www.aicb.org.in/aicb_awards.html | title=AICB awards | publisher=AICB | date=2014 | access-date=27 September 2014 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20140927061128/http://www.aicb.org.in/aicb_awards.html | archive-date=27 September 2014 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
* Thomas Memorial National Award - All India Blind Welfare Trust, Chennai - 2000<ref name="AICB bio" />
* World Human Rights Promotion Award - Indian Institute of Human Rights - 2002<ref name="AICB bio" /><ref name="AICB awards" />
* T. P. Jhunjhunwala Award - Rajasthan Club - 2003<ref name="AICB bio" />
* NCPEDP – Shell [[Helen Keller]] Award - 2003 - National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People<ref name="NCPEDP">{{cite web | url=http://www.ncpedp.org/ | title=NCPEDP | publisher=NCPEDP | date=2014 | access-date=27 September 2014}}</ref><ref name="AICB bio" />
* R. M. Alpaiwala Memorial Award - National Association for the Blind,<ref name="NAB">{{cite web | url=http://www.nabindia.org/ | title=NAB | publisher=NAB | date=2014 | access-date=27 September 2014}}</ref> Mumbai<ref name="AICB bio" /><ref name="AICB awards" />

==References==
{{portal|India}}
{{reflist|colwidth=50em}}

{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Social Work}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaul, J. L.}}

[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in social work]]
[[Category:Social workers]]
[[Category:Social workers from Jammu and Kashmir]]
[[Category:Blind people from India]]

J. L. Kaul - Revision history

>Rlink2: /* Awards and recognitions */archive link repair, may include: archive.* -> archive.today, and http->https for ghostarchive.org and archive.org (wp:el#Specifying_protocols)

>Rlink2: /* Awards and recognitions /archive link repair, may include: archive. -> archive.today, and http->https for ghostarchive.org and archive.org (wp:el#Specifying_protocols)