Jyothirgamaya Foundation: Difference between revisions

Jyothirgamaya Foundation was first started as a mobile blind school,<ref name="Jyothirgamaya Reference2" /> with the philosophy, that "if blind cannot go to school, let the school go to them" and with this innovative idea a converted rickshaw is hired to carry computer, printer, Braille slates and white canes to homes of the blind students across the city of [[Trivandrum]]<ref name="Jyothirgamaya Reference9">{{cite news |last1=Ramadurai |first1=Charukesi |title=India's mobile school for blind students puts empowerment on the curriculum {{!}} Charukesi Ramadurai |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2013/aug/29/india-blind-school-braille-without-borders |access-date=4 April 2021 |publisher=The Guardian |date=29 August 2013 |language=en}}</ref>.<ref name="Jyothirgamaya Reference4" /> The project is part of "Braille without Borders", a larger initiative operated by Sabriye Tenberken, a blind [[Germany|German]] national, based in [[Tibet]] in the year 1998 and accordingly she created the scheme to prepare blind children for mainstream education, and also runs a larger project based in [[Trivandrum]] called Kanthari, a school for budding social entrepreneurs from marginalised communities from across world.<ref name="Jyothirgamaya Reference9" />

[[Tiffany Brar]], born on 14 September 1988, who became blind due to carelessness of doctor, as she suffered with retinal disease and lost her sight six months after birth due to oxygen overdose,<ref name="Jyothirgamaya Reference4" /><ref name="Jyothirgamaya Reference1" /> due to constant battles of discrimination and stigmatization on account of her disability, decided to attempt in making a small difference in the lives of her blind colleagues, and so with the knowledge she possessed she started the Jyothirgamaya Foundation to bring her community to the forefront. However, as her father was an Indian military officer she had the opportunity to travel to many places due to postings of her father and being visually impaired verbal communication was necessary and in this process she became multilingual as she learned to speak five Indian languages fluently in her childhood.<ref name="Jyothirgamaya Reference1" /> She did her education in special schools and military schools which were not equipped to handle blind students like her.<ref name="Jyothirgamaya Reference1" /> She continued her studies in Mary Scot Homes for the Blind, [[Darjeeling]], after completion of her primary education in [[Kerala]] as her father was transferred there.<ref name="Jyothirgamaya Reference1" /> She pursued her degree in English Literature from the Government Women’s College, [[Thiruvananthapuram]], in 2006 after completion of her schooling and after graduating in 2009, she started working with an organisation called Braille without Borders.<ref name="Jyothirgamaya Reference1" />

[[File:Tiffany_Brar_receiving_National_Award_from_the_President_of_India,Dr.Ram_Nath_Kovind.jpg|thumbnail|Tiffany Brar receiving National Award from the Honourable President of India, Dr. [[Ram Nath Kovind]]]]

Over the years, Jyothirgamaya has adopted a need-based approach, where participants aged 10 to forty, are trained in accordance with their needs, skills, and capability. As she travelled to various organisations she observed many visually impaired people confined to their homes as they lacked skills and training and this motivated her to start the Jyothirgamaya Foundation which provides training in computers as well as the use of the internet, social media, [[Braille]], basic Maths, English communication, life skills including personal hygiene and grooming and mobility training<ref name="Jyothirgamaya Reference9" />.<ref name="Jyothirgamaya Reference1" /><ref name="Jyothirgamaya Reference3" /> The main part of teaching is using white canes for children as many of them are dependent on others.<ref name="Jyothirgamaya Reference9" /> Till year 2018 the organisation had trained more than 300 blind people in activities relating to daily living, mobility, the realms of access technology and interpersonal skills through camps<ref name="Jyothirgamaya Reference8" />.<ref name="Jyothirgamaya Reference2">{{cite news |title=Tiffany Brar of Jyothirgamaya Foundation gets Mindtree Helen Keller Award |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/2018/dec/04/tiffany-of-jyothirgamaya-foundation-gets-mindtree-helen-keller-award-1906988.html |access-date=2 April 2021 |publisher=The New Indian Express |date=4 December 2018}}</ref> In the year 2019, the organisation introduced vocational training like basket weaving, making dream catchers and others.<ref name="Jyothirgamaya Reference5">{{cite news |title=How Jyothirgamaya Foundation fights for accessibility and champions disability rights |url=https://www.edexlive.com/beinspired/2020/jun/03/how-jyothirgamaya-foundation-fights-for-accessibility-and-champions-disability-rights-12414.html |access-date=2 April 2021 |publisher=The New Indian Express |date=3 June 2020 |language=en}}</ref> Additionally, the organisation also offers English language sessions, blind [[yoga]] sessions with International instructors and also a lot of representatives and volunteers from companies also take soft-skill and interpersonal skills classes.<ref name="Jyothirgamaya Reference5" /> The organisation had also designed residential programmes incl food and accommodation, with a duration of 4-5 months of 4 batches with a maximum of 8-10 students in each batch, participating in a year and has trained over 1100 students<ref name="Jyothirgamaya Reference8" />.<ref name="Jyothirgamaya Reference5" /> The organisation also reached out to their students for online training courses for subjects like Advanced Android Learning and also to connected families for support with food and regular needs.<ref name="Jyothirgamaya Reference5" /> The foundation is also working to sensitise schools and colleges about promoting disability rights and make them aware about the needs of disabled students in addition to collaborating with Social Justice Department about updates to be made in the legal structure to accommodate the needs of the differently-abled people.<ref name="Jyothirgamaya Reference5" />

[[File:Tiffany photo Abdul Kalam.jpg|thumbnail|Tiffany Brar with former President of India Dr. APJ. Abdul Kalam in 2012]]

*Received Kerala State Award for Best Institution for the empowerment of Persons with Disabilities from the Chief Minister of Kerala Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan In 2019