Get your cards picked up – From Anywhere in India!

We have just concluded a tie up with a national logistics organisation. Now, you can get your cards picked up from anywhere in India – just let us know. What’s more, it will be at a date and time of your convenience!

Now what’s stopping you from getting your cards Braille enabled?

To order, just drop an email to eshabraille@gmail.com or order online here – http://www.braillecards.org/order.htm

Go ahead.. there will never be a better time..

Project Bicycle

When India is shining and said that it is going to be a gr8 economy, traveling through the rural India gives a different perspective. It was seen that lakhs of kids are still not having basic right of education. May it be lack of infrastructure or the lack of will of our own politicians. Just imagine 6yr to 15 years kids are walking through the mountains and valleys to learn ABC of education. May it rain or sun, cold or swine flue believe me these small legs are walking for 5 to 15 km daily….!!

There is pressure on them to quit the education and join their parents for making the household. Well there is no limit to their hurdles as well as their determination. For saluting their will to learn, we thought of helping them with some means where they can reduce at least their one difficulty. One month back, appeal was made to donate your scrapped cycles and 1…2…50… and we reached to 100….!!! Thanks to all of guys like you who spread the word and the donors we could manage to meet the requirement for 3 remote schools, near Pune. Kundur and Tamani. ..

If you want to donate a bicycle, please contact Shantibhooshan at shanti_surya@yahoo.com or call +91 9892530192

 

PS: Shanti is my colleague. He has done this outside office, and am truly proud to know him.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The new Esha Website is up!!

Yes.. the new site is now up!! I think its totally totally cool!!

A vote of Thanks

A BIG thanks to Aditi for calling up one fine day and volunteering to design this site for free.. then, for excusing my delays, and for coming up with such a winner.. hats off to you!

To Varun, for uploading the site and for making the changes that were, ahem.. quite a few in number.. and for being patient through it all. He says i should “Keep My Thanks to Myself” – so i do.

To Nisha, for taking time out of being a mother of two adorable daughters and her house, to maintain Esha’s website. For volunteering to do it and doing it consistently all these months..

This is the second time that something really BIG has happened for Esha with zero contribution from me.. Thank you Folks.. and a BIG Cheers from the virtual bubbly!

And a new email id!!

Yes.. after months of dilly dallying.. have finally moved to gmail.com . Esha braille is now also accessible at eshabraille@gmail.com

Use this id to chat with us, connect with us in other ways.. and of course, to email..

I love the convenience of gmail, and hate the interface of wordpress.. there, thats 2 pennies of opinion

Have a nice day people!

aavishkaar.org – Venture Capitalism Innovation

Don’t let the MBA jargon in the title fool you – the concept is even better than the MBA jargon makes it sound, but the idea is so simple it is brilliant.

What amazes me is the sheer amount of good work going on around us – like the river Saraswati.. quiet, underground, relentless..

Here it is in their own words:

The firm provides micro-equity funding (Rs. 10 lacs to Rs. 2 Crore), approximately USD $20 thousand to USD $500 thousand) and operational and strategic support to commercially viable companies increasing income in or providing goods and services to rural or semi-urban India.

Here are the key words: (aka, why i loved the concept)

Equity : This is important. This means that the enterprise being invested in, is not put under the strain of an interest burden. This also means that the entrepreneur gets access to money without being bound to a payout schedule. When working capital is marginal, this can be an important feature.

Operational and Strategic Support: This part, me likes best. Micro entrepreneurs have the feel of the ground, but not enough support in terms of operational efficiency or Strategy formulation. In these areas, a support at the right time can mean the difference between a creature surviving from day to day, and an organisation planning its growth deliberately, firmly, surely.

Income: Anything that generates income at the micro level, in the rural and semi urban areas, is good. Simply because it creates livelihood without displacement.

This is where you can find out more about Aavishkaar:   

http://www.aavishkaar.org/projects.htmhttp://www.microfinancefocus.com/news/?p=568http://www.aavishkaar.org/projects.htm

http://www.microfinancefocus.com/news/?p=568http://www.microfinancefocus.com/news/?p=568

http://www.aavishkaar.org/Aavishkaar%20presentation.ppt#260,8,Servals Automation Private Ltd

http://www.slideshare.net/tbliconference/experience-sharing-of-sustainable-private-equity-funds 

http://www.aavishkaar.org/projects.htm

 

http://www.microfinancefocus.com/news/?p=568

We’re getting a new website design!

Soon! If all goes well, very soon, the website www.braillecards.org will have a professional new design. Will tell you more about it in the next post..

IN other news, the hugely popular Mad Momma wrote a post about Esha.. here: http://themadmomma.wordpress.com/2009/08/20/esha-people-for-the-blind/

Sometimes ago, we did a small Blogathon for Esha .. where a set of bloggers got together and blogged about Esha at the same time. The objective was two fold – to check the brand creation impact of blogs and to run  a Blogathon for Esha. The updated list of blogs on the Esha website reflects this list. The participating bloggers are:

http://delhidreams.blogspot.com/2009/07/candle-and-night.html

 

http://sandwaves.blogspot.com/2008/07/for-love-of-people.html

 

http://letterstomayank.blogspot.com/2009/07/esha-awareness.html

 

http://chhotichhotisibaat.blogspot.com/2009/07/f-j-5.html

 

http://nut-a-tut.blogspot.com/2009/07/esha-for-blind.html

 

http://sidhusaaheb.blogspot.com/2009/07/brilliant-business-idea-or-anachronism.html

 

http://mypugmarks.blogspot.com/2009/07/esha-be-aware.html

 

http://aaina.jagdishbhatia.com/2009/07/blog-post_14.html

A BIG thanks to all of them for taking the time to post about Esha. They did a pre awareness, an awareness post and a post awareness post. Am in the process of creating a detailed report, and will post it soon. A report is also due to every blogger who participated in the blogathon.. its coming soon..

If you are on the Esha blog, please do comment.. we’d like to know what you think… really!

OMG.. i havent been blogging..

.. when there is so very much to blog about!

First up, we got a great write up by Geetanjali in the Business Standard -
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/geetanjali-krishnasight-for-sore-eyes/365547/.365340.

Then, have to let you all know about this fantastic event by Partho Bhowmick in Mumbai.. do go if you are anywhere in Mumbai.. it will be sooo worth it.

Antarchakshu (The Eye Within), a sensitization workshop cum photo exhibition by visually impaired aimed to spread awareness about the lives of the visually impaired.
The photo exhibition showcases new pictures taken by the visually impaired students of the St. Xavier’s College and artworks of 15 blind photographers / artists across the world who had inspired me to start the Blind With Camera project in 2006.

Antarchakshu will be held at St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai during Malhar Festival from August 14 – 16, 2009, 10 am – 4.30 pm.

www.blindwithcamera.org

Theres lots more to write about.. and i promise to catch up soon…

How to make a tactile map

Esha’s tactile maps are special because you can use the same map for both kinds of disability – hearing and visual.

This post deserves to have a page to itself, and it will soon be on the resources center on the Esha website (www.braillecards.org).

How to make a tactile map

Base material: Canvas tied to a hard cardboard base makes the best base, because it is sturdy and has a long life.

Labels: The labels should be in Braille, and all the relevant languages. The font for the languages should be small, so that we can fit as many languages as possible. In India, that would be 3 languages at most places.

Topography:
This section lists our understanding of the use of eco-friendly materials for most features that you are likely to meet in a location map. They are by way of suggestions. Feel free to use or not use.

Grassy areas – Green Velvette Paper. Green provides the visual connect and velvette paper provides the tactile connect.

Fence – matchsticks in the right pattern, depending on the distance between fence bars.

Stairs: Matchsticks again. the head shld be cut off before use.

Corridors: Lined with twine for corridors inside the building and with thicker twine for outdoors.

Walls: Please consult the blueprint and use thicker twine for thicker walls. This will give the user some idea of how thick the walls are.

Doors and Windows: Broomsticks. Broomsticks use a thinner wood, so matchsticks mean an even staircase and broomsticks mean doors and windows.

Stage: Sandpaper. In a classroom/conference room/theater, the stage needs to be marked out clearly. Sandpaper is the most distinguishable way of marking out this prominent part of the room. Sandpaper can also be used to mark the table in a room (e.g., the CEO’s room with a huge table that needs to be marked out clearly)

Rocky decoration: Typically found in gardens, pulses (esp red gram pulse) is the best way to represet semi circular rock decorations.

fountain: Blue velvet paper or blue decoration paper. This provides both the visual and the tactile input.

How to make a tactile map
1. Start with the blueprint of the building /facility. This should cover all outdoor areas as well, and to scale.
2. Find a canvas of the right size. The size should not be more than A3 if you can help it.
3. Mark out the doors, windows and stairs FIRST.
4. Create the biggest outlines with the thickest twine.
5. Create the smalelr outlines. ONLY create outlines for features that will be used by the visitor/user. e.g., if the DG set is closed with a stell mesh gate, make sure that the mesh gate is indicated, but the DG can just be labelled as DG.
6. Create the filling for floor surfaces that need to be filled. Some floor surfaces that need filling arre: Stage, Work area desks, BIG tables in conference rooms, CEO rooms etc.
7. Indicate prominent pieces of furniture that the user is likely to encounter. Also indicate fire fightint equipment because the blind walk against the wall and will be hurt by them if they are not marked. Any other things that are likely to hurt them on the wall must also be indicated.
8. Create labels – braille and the local languages. For the hearing disabled, please also create labels for high noise areas that they should avoid and zero noise areas where they should be careful.
9. Cover your map with a cling film and store. THen, when you have a visitor, Viola! Out comes the map – and your visitors will be so delighted! After each use, cover with cling film and store again.

Some more interesting links for you..and whats new at Esha..

Every time i search, the world has done something else that is wonderful. These are the new good ideas:

http://www.readhowyouwant.com/braille/Home.aspx

http://www.ideasrs.com/my-net/new-products/99.html – Someone thinks Braille Cards are a bright idea!

http://www.rambhai.com/News/Be-little-more-inclusive-Get-braille-visiting-card/ – and Rambhai has 22 votes so far on this news story.

If you want to send Braille Greeting cards to someone you know, or to a blind school that you have otherwise been visiting, tell us at Esha. We make Braille greeting cards now.

I am on my way to creating a wikipedia entry about braille enabled visiting cards in India.. want to help?

We have also started making tactile maps for offices that want these maps for their visitors. There’s a lot of new stuff thats happening at Esha.. all of it good

Bing.com – Test Results and some new links..

This afternoon, i was testing Bing one more time. Have to admit that the search results are getting much better.

Today, the search was predictably on Braille Visiting cards. And Viola! i found 2 new links that were missed by google all this while methinks. Here they are:

Someone had a nice experience with Chandru..http://latikaroy.org/josBlog/?p=164

And Someone thinks Braille Cards are a bright idea!

What more can i say.. makes mah day.

Chandrashekhar, the entrepreneur responsible for all those great looking visiting cards, just got married this month. He is on Cloud 9, of course, and you can congratulate him here.. i will pass on the messages.. OR, if u really want to make his day, call him!