Hyderabad: L V Prasad Eye Institute’s Institute for Vision Rehabilitation received the prestigious National Association for the Blind’s Sarojini Triloknath National Award in the Best Institution category for its services towards people with vision loss. The award was presented to Dr Beula Christy, Head, LVPEI – Institute for Vision Rehabilitation in a virtual award ceremony.
“LVPEI is one of the few eye care Institutes in the world to offer vision rehabilitation as an integral part of its services. Over the last 30 years, LVPEI has successfully rehabilitated 200,000 plus people with low vision and blindness. Through our various centre-based and community-based approaches, we aim to empower people with incurable vision loss to help them lead an independent and dignified life. The institute offers a wide range of services that cover every aspect of care for every age group, starting from early intervention services for children to prescribing low vision devices to mobility, technology and employment training for adults. We are also privileged to have dedicated volunteers who have immensely contributed to our work in terms of their Time, Talent and Treasure. Our volunteers are from different age groups and various walks of life.
Livelihood Skill Development Program is an important program that provides training in specific or multiple trades to people with vision loss and to their family members. The institute also offers them the needed support in upscaling their trade ventures. The range of products developed under these programs are utility-based and include cloth and jute bags, conference files, pouches, fruit baskets, laptop bags, paper bags, candles, jewellery and home decors. Marketed and sold under the tag name ‘A Meaningful Gift’, these products provide means of livelihood, and help persons with vision impairment live a quality life.
To support the Livelihood Skill Development Program, the institute is organizing a virtual live event ‘Artists United’ on 2 January 2021 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The cause-related fundraising event presents ten incredibly talented artists who did not let their disabilities be a roadblock for them on their way to achieving their dreams. It is open for all and will be organized live on Facebook. We request people to support this event with their time – by watching the artists perform and encouraging them; and with their generous contributions – by donating for the program,” shares Dr Beula Christy.
