CHENNAI: For M Dhroupthi, a visually-impaired postgraduate from Dharmapuri, getting a job was like a dream come true. Though she successfully completed the MSc Mathematics and Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) in 2014, her low eyesight always posed hurdles in her way of becoming a salaried person. A training programme she attended at Karna Vidya Foundation in 2016 changed her life forever. She was soon placed as a data entry operator in a private firm.
Karna Vidya Foundation, as the name suggests, is a learning hub where knowledge is imparted through ears. Situated in the bustling Guindy Industrial Estate in Chennai, the institution is a lighthouse for visually-impaired people of the state and upholds the motto, ‘Empowering through education and employment.’
Formed by the Rotary Club of Madras Coromandel in 1999, the foundation commenced as a reading centre for the visually impaired. In 2013, it was transformed into a non-governmental organisation that focuses on the education and job placements of visually impaired people. “Karna Vidya Foundation is the only NGO in Tamil Nadu that provides technology training for visually-challenged people, which includes counselling, training in basic daily skills, mobility, technologies, and employment.
The foundation is also collaborating with Kalasalingam University, which extends its helping hands to visually impaired individuals,” says S Sasikumar, the foundation’s programme officer for job placement. “Over 20 private companies came to our campus in February 2023 and conducted interviews in which 25 students got selected. We have also been participating in job fairs conducted by employment offices,” he said.
Explaining the recruitment process of companies, Sasikumar said the foundation’s representatives would first meet employers and have a discussion with them to determine what jobs the visually impaired individuals can perform. They will also assist the employers in handling the challenged people and modifying office facilities such as installing ramps and setting up special computers. Even after the placement, the foundation follows up with the candidates for up to three months and serves as a bridge between the employer and employee.
So far, the Karna Vidya foundation has successfully trained over 3,500 visually-impaired students in various aspects of life such as obtaining jobs and reading without assistance. K Raguraman, a visually-challenged professor of Nadhanam Arts College and a volunteer at the foundation, said, “There is a misconception among people that visually-impaired people can only study art and students need the aid of eyesight to learn science or mathematics. In order to break the stereotype, Karna Vidya Foundation is now emphasising STEM (Science, Technology, English, and Mathematics) education for its students. The foundation offers a programme called ‘Science without Sight,’ which caters for students in Classes 3 to 9.”