~Event supported by Her Highness Sheikha Arwa Al Qassimi and in association with Beyond Sight Foundation~
Mumbai, 1st August, 2015: Sightsavers, a development organisation that works to prevent avoidable blindness, restore sight and advocate for social inclusion and equal rights for people with disabilities recently organised a photography exhibition of the photos clicked by visually impaired photographers at the Inorbit Mall (Malad), Mumbai. The photos as showcased in the exhibition are a part of ‘The Blind View’ campaign – a photography workshop initiated by Sightsavers in association withBeyond Sight Foundation (BSF) for the visually impaired photography enthusiasts and is being supported by Her Highness Sheikha Arwa Al Qassimi.
Sharing his views on this initiative, Mr. RN Mohanty CEO, Sightsavers India said, “Our society still doesn’t know the actual problems faced by a visually impaired person. Also, they may think that a blind person becomes a liability to his/her family. Sightsavers intends to change this view and show that even a blind person can become independent and pursue his interests.”
Mr. Partho Bhowmick, Founder, Beyond Sight Foundation (BSF) said, “This exhibition can be a connecting link between the abled and disabled. It will help people understand the world of a blind person from a clearer perspective.”
The photography workshop took place in the month of June this year and the participants were trained to click perfect pictures under supervision of skilled experts. The workshop also witnessed participation of a renowned visually impaired photographer Bhavesh Patel, who recently did a photo-shoot with Bollywood Actress Katrina Kaif.
Bhavesh said, “We are a part of this society and ‘Sympathy’ is not what we are asking for. We just want to be treated like any other normal human being in the society. This is a great platform to let people take a look at our ‘Vision’.”
After the successful completion of the workshop in Mumbai, 20 pictures depicting 7 different themes were shortlisted in which visually impaired participants are clicked by other blind participants doing a series of interesting activities. Each picture depicts a story in itself representing different aspects of the blind experience.
In addition to the photo exhibition, Sightsavers had arranged for other fun filled and interesting activities that would offer visitors a closer look at a blind person’s life.
“This exhibition is our effort to showcase the glimpses of the life of a blind person - how they perform their daily chores, how do they commute to office and so on...” saidAmal Gupta, Senior Manager, Brand & Communications, Sightsavers.
The event also witnessed huge number of people signing Sightsavers’ petition on Change.org with an appeal to make public transport, media and printed material, and goods & services more accessible. Sightsavers will submit the petition to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, on completion of the campaign.
About Sightsavers:
Sightsavers is a registered charity that works to prevent blindness, restore sight and advocate for social inclusion and equal rights for people with disabilities.The organization has been working in India since 1966. Sightsavers in India till date has been successful in reaching out to 53.4 million people, conducting 36.2 million eye treatments, performing 4.9 million eye operations. For more information, log on to www.sightsaversindia.in
