Singh

Anusha

Greenwood High School

Public Library for the Blind

Bay Area

When 17-year-old Anushawanted to lend voice for audio books for visually impaired children, she was rejected because of her American accent. She then learnt Braille, and started making tactile books since last summer.has produced 40 tactile books so far, apart from developing a website to promote the concept of tactile books.In a world where students usually find themselves entangled in a cobweb of exams and academics, Anusha Singh, an International Baccalaureate (IB) student at, has dared to take the plunge, lending a helping hand to visually challenged children. As part of her ‘Build-A-Vision’ initiative, she has created a website showcasing all her tactile merchandise such as books, games and boards to raise funds and build awareness. She has raised over Rs 30,000 through donations that were in turn donated to GiftAbled (the organisation which helped her start tactile) for their purchase of a Braille typewriter. This typewriter, she says, would enable enhanced productivity as they can produce books faster for the visually impaired.The website has a series of fun games, display boards and tactile clocks. Whether it is a book about kitchen utensils or Snakes and Ladder game, a great amount of research has gone into finding the right materials and format for each individual product. Her first tactile library has 30 books and 10 display boards with games. Currently, she is working with her school, teaching individuals how to make a tactile book from start to end ,including the Braille.Failed, only to winAnusha said, “Even after months of practice, I failed the test again and again. I was dumbfounded by the irony – an American accent came in the way of my English narration.”She said, “My involvement took an unexpected turn when I came across GiftAbled (NGO) last summer. The founder introduced me to ‘tactile’ by instructing me to close my eyes as she placed the tip of my fingers on a button and asked me to navigate through paper and pipe cleaner to find the end of the maze. The concept was to use ‘touch’ to help the visually impaired explore and perceive their environment.”Inspired by this, Anusha started her feat in forming her own tactile library from April 2017. “I was meeting with organisations including theand Disabled and Lighthouse () to learn what they were doing. I also made a habit of asking for blind maps or tools for the impaired wherever I went, whether an Ikea or the Exploratorium,” she added.She said “Concepts involve numbers, alphabets and patterns. Objects involve insects, vehicles, kitchen utensils, and all that we encounter or use on a daily basis. Experiences involve different aspects of an event, nature or a time of year.”US stint helpedAnusha also went to her internship in the US where she spent her free time on research.“Every evening after work, I was scavenging the aisles of department and local art stores. Some of the challenges included finding materials in bulk of sustainable quality, contrasting textures, and ways to replicate different objects. Not to mention the hard labour of writing Braille by hand. The finished library had 30 books and 10 display boards with games. As great as it felt to complete, the creative process was something I cherished,” she added.She took this forward to the school and wanted to spread awareness. That is when she created her website — in October 2017.“So, I first created a website to spread awareness of the work and invite people to sponsor the books for donation to GiftAbled. I also approached my principal, who connected me with a group of artistically inclined middle school students to teach making tactile books. I am also working on introducing this project to other schools throughout Bangalore. And that’s where I am now,” she said. Tactile is something that provides someone a feel-and-touch experience where they can actually feel how a sun looks, or a butterfly. But, the number of books in the country is limited. Anusha said, “I can see how far technology has advanced, but I can also see how many it has left behind. Many impaired assistance groups even lack access to a basic, Braille typewriter. Overall, I know that tactile is a just baby step, but to me, an effort to bridge the gap.”