XRCVC Presents Disability Awareness Experiences at Purple Fest
The Xavier’s Resource Centre for the Visually Challenged (XRCVC) is delighted to present disability awareness experiences to the participants of ‘Purple Fest: Celebrating Diversity’. These will be done through a composite session combining experiencing disability on the one hand and understanding the empowering tools through technology on the other (Antarchakshu®️—The Eye Within and an Assistive Technology Awareness Exhibition).
The Purple Fest is a first-of-its-kind inclusive festival in India that embraces and celebrates persons with disabilities. It aims to showcase how we can come together to create a welcoming and inclusive world for everyone, and has been organised on January 6, 7, 8 by the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Goa in association with the Directorate of Social Welfare, Entertainment Society of Goa, Goa Tourism Development Corporation and Information & Publicity Department, Govt. of Goa.
In addition to the awareness and sensitisation events mentioned above, XRCVC will also participate in a Think Tank on the subject ‘Resource Centres | A Resourceful Solution for Inclusion’ and a panel discussion on ‘Inclusive Education – A possibility of an ideal for India?’
Says Dr Sam Taraporevala, Executive Director, XRCVC, “Our team is very excited to partner with the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Goa to present the Antarchakshu®️ experience as a part of the ‘Purple Fest: Celebrating Diversity’. This Purple Experience Zone consists of a dual exposure to participants. After going through a simulation of disability that is designed to dispel myths, break stereotypes and create and equal opportunity mindset, participants will be led through a comprehensive Assistive Technologies exhibition where they will get an insight into:
• How persons with blindness and low vision use computers, conduct scientific experiments, play sports and live a holistic life
• How persons with locomotor disability can use a motorised stair-climbing chair
• How persons with disability in the upper limbs can control a computer using their eyeballs
• How deaf and hard of hearing persons use today’s technology to conduct seamless communication
• How persons with disability can function independently and more efficiently using modern smart technology.”
“Very informative and advanced knowledge sharing.”
– Deepali Naik, Director Women and Child Development, Panaji Goa
“With open eyes sometimes we fail to recognise things. This session gave us a lot of realisation.”
- Datta K. Sawant, police inspector, Calangute Police Station
“Good insight was provided into how a disabled person lives with pride and grace.”
- Dr. Pooja Madkaiker
“Nice, well-planned awareness program. It helped us develop empathy and more strength towards life.”
- Gauresh P.
“The workshop was excellent. I was under the impression that someone should help the blind. Now I feel that I must myself help the blind.”
-Gurudas P.
About Antarchakshu®️- The Eye Within
Antarchakshu®️- The Eye Within is a simulation workshop aimed at creating a sneak preview into the world of persons with disabilities. Participants go through a disability simulation for a few minutes during which they are made to perform few simple tasks in a safe environment. Through this experience, they learn to reflect on personal attitudes towards persons with disabilities. The simulation is followed by an interactive session. The key focus of the workshop is to equip its participants with insight, understanding and basic facts about the lives of persons with disabilities, the ‘How?’ of their lives, and also to foster an insight in developing their own perspective on the issue. Over 50 staff and volunteers work tirelessly over many days to make this event a “unique and unforgettable” experience for the participants. In the past, Antarchakshu®️ has been held at diverse venues like IIT Bombay, the World Book Fair in Pragati Maidan (Delhi), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Gurgaon (Epicentre), etc.
About Assistive Technology Awareness Exhibition
The Assistive Technology Awareness Exhibition showcases diverse technological solutions, both low-tech and hi-tech, which help persons with disabilities function efficiently in their personal, educational and professional lives. These technologies highlight how persons with disabilities, if given the enabling opportunities, would function at par with anybody else.
About XRCVC
The Xavier’s Resource Centre for the Visually Challenged (XRCVC) was started in 2003 as an effort to ensure an inclusive environment at St. Xavier’s College, one of the most well-known educational institutions in the country, for its students with blindness and low vision. Having created an inclusive set-up for its own students, and keeping with the college’s long tradition of creating social impact within the larger community, the XRCVC has today become a national advocacy and support centre for inclusion for persons with disabilities.
In the almost two decades of its existence, XRCVC has reached 6,000+ persons with disabilities through 1,400+ training programmes and 51,000+ participants through 500+ Antarchakshu®️ awareness programme and Assistive Technologies Awareness Exhibitions. As a resource centre for persons with disabilities, it currently has 250+ Assistive Technologies, has created 700+ books in an accessible format and a library of 300+ Teaching – Learning Aids. XRCVC’s advocacy programmes have also created a great impact in the larger society such as implementation of the Copyright (Amendment) Act, 2012 to create print access for the print disabled, changes in RBI and NSDL rules and regulations to banking and operation of Demat account accessible for persons with visual impairment, changes in CBSE, HSc and other such rules and regulations to create access to education in fields such as Physiotherapy, Psychology etc for persons with disabilities.