Thiruvananthapuram: Tiffany to start ‘school’ for visually challenged

Thiruvananthapuram: A new initiative, a preparatory school/ kindergarten for visually challenged children, is being launched by Tiffany Brar, visually challenged and founder of Jyothir-gamaya here.

The school, the first of its kind in the state, will be inaugurated by social justice minister K.K. Shailaja, on Friday. Tiffany, 28, belonging to Thiruvananthapuram, runs ‘Jyothirgamaya,’ her own social project for the visually impaired, in a rented building at Kurava-nkonam–Vayilikkada road.

The motto of Tiffany, winner of several awards, is, ‘catch them young and teach them well.’ Free education and hostel facility will be provided to the children.

Currently, visually impaired children are admitted to blind schools only from first standard.

Tiffany has already given 15 residential computer training courses to eight visually impaired students. “All of them got placements in call centres and banks. I catch the impaired students young and teach them well. We hope to get the social justice department help in our new initiative,” she told this newspaper.

There are five staff members at Jyothirgamaya comprising two special educators, an access technology trainer, a cook and a maid. Biju Prabhakar, social justice special secretary, told DC,

“Social justice department has asked the anganwadis to identify the beneficiaries and report on the visually impaired students below six years.”

Tiffany Brar is the winner of several prestigious awards, including Neelam Khurshid Kanga Award 2019 and the national award for 'best role model' instituted by the department of empowerment of persons with disabilities (Divyangjan) under the union ministry of social justice and empowerment. She has accommodated several students from the weaker sections, including girls in Thiruvananthapuram, at Jyothirgamaya, which is run mostly on good Samaritans’ funding.