Guiding drivers, with a braille map

New Indian Express, India Guiding drivers, with a braille map By Express News Service - BANGALORE 18th June 2012 10:47 AM CAPTION: A visually-challenged person guiding a driver at Foresight 2012, a car rally organised in Bangalore on Sunday I Sudhakar Jain "It was always I who was being taken around by people. Today I am directing someone around the city," said Vijayalakshmi, who used a Braille route map to guide Deepthi Dayal. Visually challenged Vijayalakshmi is an Arts graduate who works at the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL). Dayal drove a 50 kilometre-long obstacle track around the city in the fund-raising event Foresight 2012, a car rally organised here on Sunday by Bangalore Knights Round Table 174 and Bangalore Knights Ladies Circle 107, in association with the National Association for the Blind. For Banayya, a twenty-year-old man who is pursuing a basic Computers Science Course at the National Association for the Blind this was an opportunity to meet new people and to know places around Bangalore . "This is the first time I am participating in a car rally. I am really excited", he said. Nearly, 150 visually challenged children and adults from various institutes across the city participated in the event. Excitement loomed large as each one of them was coupled with a participant to take them around and finally to the finishing line. Experience Narrated The Braille map was prepared carefully, concentrating on two essential things that the navigator can sense-speed breakers and bumpy or bad roads. The count of the speed breakers became a sign of assurance for the participants that they were on the right track. It told them whether or not it was the time to take a turn. "This is really like a mystery movie. How are we supposed to know where the checkpoints will come?" said Ashok, a participant. There were checkpoints installed at three locations along the rally track to check if the participants arrived too early or too late. The event almost had forty participants, who drove. Awards Three awards were given in each of the five categories of Expert, Novice, Ladies, Vintage cars, and the Eco- cars to both the drivers and navigators. A number of visually challenged participants took part in instrumental music and dance performances on the occasion. Along with other models, they also participated in the fashion parade conducted by designer Prasad Bidapa SOURCE http://newindianexpress.com/cities/bangalore/article544964.ece