Blindness often limits people's potential, not due to their disability, but because the world remains inadequately adapted to their needs. While the Braille system is integrated into education, its application in critical sectors like medicine is lacking, creating significant challenges for the fully visually impaired.
Medhansh Soni, a 12-year-old boy who is completely blind, has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) through his mother, Ramta Soni, to the Supreme Court. The petition seeks guidelines for implementing Braille across various sectors and addresses indirect or hostile discrimination against visually impaired individuals. Medhansh is an exceptional child, having won eight gold medals in international Olympiads across subjects like Mathematics, Science, English, and General Knowledge.
Medhansh argues that the absence of Braille in institutions across India deprives the blind population of opportunities and access to public information, resulting in significant hardships. According to the National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey, nearly 6.2 million people in India are blind, with the rate being 1.37 times higher in rural areas. The real issue is not the visually impaired themselves but society’s failure to meet their needs.
Failure to enact a comprehensive braille integration system throughout institutions in India has significantly disadvantaged visually impaired individuals, rendering access to public information elusive. As a result, a substantial segment of society is subjected to undue hardship and exclusion from vital resources and opportunities.Medhansh Soni
The petition also highlights the practical difficulties blind individuals face, such as identifying currency, reading medical products and labels, or verifying the integrity of medications, including expiry dates. Navigating public spaces is another challenge. The demonetization in India, which led to smaller currency notes, further complicates identification by touch. Despite being the world’s largest democracy for nearly 70 years, India’s neglect of the blind population is troubling.
In a related PIL filed by Nishant Kumar, the Supreme Court has asked the Union and state governments whether Braille can be integrated into currency and medical labels. This move could significantly empower blind individuals, reducing their dependence on others for basic needs.
(Input from various source)
(Rehash/Yash Kamble/MSM)