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COVID Helpline for the Visually Impaired
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In the wake of the recent huge spike in cases, the Blind Relief Association, as one of the oldest organizations working for the welfare and empowerment of the visually impaired and as earnest partners in the development sector launched a COVID Helpline for the Visually Impaired on 28 April 2021.
Depending heavily on the sense of touch, a visually impaired person is much more vulnerable and needs special care/attention to be able to fight the pandemic as they live through the widespread fears and unforeseen difficulties resulting due to the second wave. Adding to this, she or he has to struggle much more to access and avail basic common amenities, assured food, and primary health care facilities. Many working in private and unorganised sectors also lost their jobs and are facing financial uncertainties resulting in serious worries and anxieties.
Through this Helpline the team has been reaching out to the visually impaired persons and their families in distress and offering them the needed psychological/medical counselling; getting them connected with hospital/medical services, and as far as possible provide basic medicine kits and ration.
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The team is delivering ration packets and medicines using the Association’s staff and also through partnering organizations like Saksham Seva (समदृष्टि क्षमता विकास एवं अनुसन्धान मण्डल) and Family of Disabled to persons with other disabilities as well. These services are being provided in Delhi NCR area. The Helpline receives requests from several other states as well such as Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Punjab, Assam, Jharkhand, and Haryana. Using contacts in these states, the team extends support and supplies to the affected persons.
| Total Number of Calls (As of 30 June 2021) |
479 |
| Ration Requirement |
373 |
| Psychological Counselling |
6 |
| Medical Assistance |
54 |
| Seeking general information |
32 |
| Other Cases |
14 |
The Helpline was conceived and is being executed with the active participation of the alumni of the Association, partnering with the Department of Social Work, University of Delhi. The Helpline Team comprises the Association's staff, counsellors (majorly comprising the alumni), volunteer doctors, and students from the Department of Social Work, University of Delhi.
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Sessions & Webinars
- Counselling session for the Helpline Team with Dr Pragati Pandey, Assistant Professor (Clinical Psychology), National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation, Madhya Pradesh on 29 April, 2021.
- Webinar on Dealing with psychological challenges of the Disabled during Covid-19 with Dr Pragati Pandey, Assistant Professor (Clinical Psychology), National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation, Madhya Pradesh and Special Invitee - Mr. K.V.S. Rao, Director, Dept. of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Govt. of India on 18 May, 2021.
- Webinar on Health Crisis of Visually Challenged Women and Children during Covid-19 with Dr Sumita Arora MBBS, MD (Obstetrician & Gynaecology), Director, Aastha Maternity and Laparoscopy Centre, Lucknow on 25 May, 2021.
- Webinar on Coping with Anxieties and Tension during Covid-19 with Dr. Geetanjali Kumar, Counselling Psychologist as the Speaker on 1 June, 2021.
- Webinar on Understanding and Dealing with COVID-19 with Dr. Mathew Varghese, Former Director and Consultant, St. Stephen’s Hospital, Delhi on 7 June, 2021
- Musical Evening - साज और आवाज़ on Tuesday, 15 June, 2021 with visually impaired singers and performers from around the world.
- Webinar on Significance of Yoga and Healthy Diet in Pandemic Times with Dr Meenakshi Pahuja, Assistant Professor (Physical Education), Lady Shri Ram College and Ms. Laxmi Pandrala Sports & wellness nutritionist, CEO Founder Lami.fit on 22 June, 2021.
- Webinar on Role of Vaccines in dealing with Corona Pandemic with Prof. (Dr.) Shahid Jameel, an internationally acclaimed Virologist, and the Director of Trivedi School of Bio-Sciences, Ashoka University on 29 June, 2021.
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Special Thanks
1. Narmada Foundation for donating 500 ration kits
2. Yogoda Satsanga Society of India for donating 30 ration kits and medicines and Mr Dushyant Meher for coordinating it.
3. Saksham Seva (समदृष्टि क्षमता विकास एवं अनुसन्धान मण्डल) and Family of Disabled for providing logistic support within Delhi & NCR.
4. Love Care Share Foundation, Prerana Trust, National Association for the Blind, Mumbai, etc. and individual donors for partnering in delivering ration/medicines outside Delhi NCR.
5. Ms Ahaana Bharat Ram and the team at Spot ON & OFF for donating 500 sanitary kits. The kits contain four reusable sanitary napkins and a Braille information booklet prepared by the Spot On & Off team and printed at the Blind Relief Association.
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Fifteen stories of gratitude from callers all around the country were shared on the Association’s website and social media. A few of the best ones are highlighted below.
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#storiesofgratitude #1
Pramod Kumar Yadav from Dhanbad, Jharkhand lives with his wife and three young children. Being the sole earner of the family, he ran a small petty shop (khoka) which was stalled because of lockdown. To manage finance and meals, his wife along with the youngest child went to her mother's home. The other two kids remained with Pramod and were in need of ration. On his case being referred to the Blind Relief Association's COVID Helpline by Eyeway, we contacted various help groups/NGOs/donors who could help him.
Finally, we were able to contact the District Welfare Officer of Dhanbad, Ms Sneh Kashyap. After conveying the details, the verification from their end took one and a half days. His condition's assessment by the team matched with whatever information we had provided them with. She ensured us that his children will get proper care and diet in nearby Anganwadi (childcare). She also assured us that he will be getting a disability certificate and through which he could get a disability pension.
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Since the beneficiary still didn't receive some ration materials which could not be provided by the district administration, with the help of an individual donor Pinki Kumari, Assistant Manager(HR), BCCL and an alumnus of the Department of Social Work (University of Delhi), the materials were delivered at his doorstep within two days. He greeted her by saying " aapka bhut bhut aabhar."
It has been a very different and difficult case for the Helpline Team but it brought along new lessons of learning. We are grateful to Ms Sneh Kashyap, (Social welfare officer of Dhanbad) and Ms Pinki Kumari (Asst. Manager, BCCL) for their tireless efforts.
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#storiesofgratitude #2
"I am greatly moved by what BRA Helpline and Abhishek sir have done for me," Vijay said on being discharged from the hospital.
Vijaya Badra works as a Telephone Operator cum Receptionist at the Rehabilitation Council of India. While his family lives in Maharashtra, he stays by himself at Katwaria Sarai in Delhi. In mid-April he developed symptoms and was tested positive for COVID-19. Knowing that he will not be able to manage alone, his wife from Maharashtra contacted Prof. Abhishek Thakur of our Helpline seeking support. The provided medicines were not helping and Vijay needed oxygen support. The Helpline got in touch with Sewa Bharti which got him admitted to the Covid Centre at Chattarpur on 23 April. Vijay was provided with an individual cabin and special attention. He recovered well and was discharged on 1 May. We are very grateful to Mr Abinav Prakash and Mr Neeraj of Sewa Bharti for their kind cooperation and help.
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#storiesofgratitude #3
On 18 May, the helpline received a call from Mr Jitendra Khadse of Pune, Maharashtra. He and his wife are visually impaired and he provided for his family by selling toys in trains. When the lockdown hit, he lost his only source of income and so contacted the helpline. Even though the state government was providing ration, it did not cover all the essentials, especially those pertaining to his 10-year-old child. Upon confirming the details, our volunteers tried to find a local NGO for logistic support and a donor.
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Simultaneously, our helpline was receiving more calls from the same locality which made us realise the severity of the problem in the area. A local NGO named ‘Love Care Share’ came forward to help on request. Upon verification of every caller by their team, they successfully delivered the required ration kits to all 9 callers. Big and hearty thanks to Love Care Share Foundation for the huge support and active partnership!
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The Blind Relief Association conducted a virtual training on Microsoft programs for its students, trainees and interested outsiders with the help of Navika Chhauda, a Gold Microsoft Student Ambassador in November 2020. The training was a 15-day program held every day from 6:00 – 08:00 pm.
The topics covered were Microsoft Seeing AI app, MS Office 365 tools such as MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Word, MS Outlook, MS OneNote and OneDrive. Out of the class of 12 students, three students - Parmeet Singh, Vishal Saini, Pawan, volunteered and took the initiative to complete the Microsoft Azure’s (Cloud Computing Service) Learning Path under the guidance of Navika and bagged the MTC vouchers.
The vouchers offered by the Microsoft Student Ambassador Programme Team enabled the students to take the Microsoft Azure examination on 23 June 2021. They would become certified in Microsoft Azure on clearing this exam which adds noteworthy credentials to their resumes.
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