Dr. Sharma

VISUALLY CHALLENGED SCALING NEWR HEIGHTS AT MOUNT ABU

In the early morning hours of May 25, 2001 history was made when the ‘National Federation of the Blind 2001 Everest Expedition’, USA, stood on top of the world. This team of climbers, led by Pasquale Scaturro included Eric Alexander, Sherman Bull and his son Brad, Luis Benitez, Mike Brown, Jeff Evans, Steve Gipe, Didrik Johnck, Charlie Mace, Chris Morris, Mike O'Donnell, and blind climber Erik Weihenmayer. Similarly, after skiing down from the summit of Mount Kosciusko in Australia's Snowy Mountains, Erik Weihenmayer swooped right into mountaineering history. The trek up the Australian mountain, followed by the trip down, made it official: Weihenmayer is the first blind person ever to scale all "seven summits," the tallest peaks on each of the seven continents.

Miles Hilton Barber yet another visually challenged reminded his audience that attitude is what determines altitude and souls with such tenacity and determination not only scale the challenging peaks but also dare to touch the sky in their solo flights. Again, one more visually challenged, Justin Grant, exulted, "Going blind has definitely been more a blessing than a curse; "For me, it opened up the door to climbing. Blind people can climb mountains, as weird as it sounds. ... I'm doing things now that I once thought weren't reasonable.'' Closer home, Atul Sahay, the Indian grown visually challenged mountaineer, has to say this, “My adventurous spirit lured me to the Himalayas, and I went on four treks, each of which was 13,000+ feet above sea level. People felt that I couldn’t climb to the first floor safely, so I climbed the Himalayas to show that human potential knows no bounds,” he says, with tongue firmly in cheek and his feet steadfastly on terra firma.

Taking cue from such brave hearts in the world of the visually challenged, the daring inmates of NAB – PNM, Rehabilitation Centre for the Blind, Mount Abu too have taken upon themselves that their rehabilitation would be incomplete if they too do not attempt to learn to climb mountains, beginning in the lap of the oldest mountain ranges in the world, the Aravelies, more than five billion years old, and with that once again reiterating the aphorism that the visually challenged can do what the sighted can and also what the sighted cannot!

The all-encompassing, progressive NAB – PNM, Rehabilitation Centre for the Blind at Mount Abu always on the lookout to stretch the abilities of the visually challenged to yet further heights, decided to introduce mountaineering training for the visually challenged, for the first time in Rajasthan, as a prelude to forthcoming Children’s Day, as excellent facilities for the basic training for the same are available at Mount Abu, the best place for such rock climbing training in Asia. The centre believes that rehabilitation does not just means making the visually challenged learn few trades and use the white cane to walk, but deems that it is much more than this and all that should be attempted. It should be remembered that every year many from all over the nation come to learn the basics of the same to Mount Abu, including members of our defense forces. This time around the courageous CO of Bahrat Scout, Mount Abu, Mr. Jitendra Singh Bhati, took upon himself the onus to take up this challenging task of teaching the visually challenged how to climb rocks under the able tutelage of ace Mr. Subhas Rathore, his colleagues Roop Chand and Ashok, all seasoned instructors.

Ten courageous visually challenged from NAB – PNM, Rehabilitation Centre for the Blind, Mount Abu, took up the gauntlet to get baptized in this adventure. They all gathered near 13C Rock near Nakki Lake, today at 7 a. m., 7 November, 2009, in the cold November of Mount Abu with all the zeal and excitement and picked up the initial ropes of mountaineering for greater heights in future. At the end of the initiation, all awed with one exclamation, “It was frightfully exhilarating and headily enlivening!” Manjar went still further, “Ask the sky to go a little higher as the visually challenged are coming to touch it!” It won’t be long when more books like ‘Touch the Top’ and movies like ‘Farther Than the Eye Can See’ would be gifted to the world by some one from such daring groups of visually challenged swashbucklers. Who knows!

Dr. Sharma

My new petite novella "AUTUMN LOVE" is out.
It could be had from PublishAmerica.

Dr. Sharma

Dear Compassionate Member!
Greetings from NAB- PNM, Rehabilitation Centre for the Blind, Mount Abu!
Today afternoon we had a wonderful, munificent visitor, Rev. Radhanandji Swmiji from the USA. He has donated Rs. 70, 000/ to gift Cupboards to the visually challenged of your centre.
He has promised to return to the centre every time when he is in India!
We are very grateful to him for all his filial concern. Not only presently, but two years back too he had showered his blessings on your centre with his bounties.
We bow to his generosity and thank him from the North-West Corner of our heart on behalf of all.
With love and gratitude
Fondly yours
Dr. Sharma

Dr. Sharma

White Cane Day – 2009
NAB – PNM Rehabilitation Centre for the Blind
Mount Abu

White Cane Day is an international awareness event to celebrate the importance of the long cane and to promote a safe environment for long cane users. The Day was held on 15th. October 2009. The Long cane: the “traditional" white cane, also known as a "Hoover" cane, after Dr. Richard Hoover, is designed primarily as a mobility tool used to detect objects in the path of a user. Cane length depends upon the height of a user, and traditionally extends from the floor to the user's sternum. Some organizers favor the use of much longer canes. "Kiddie" cane version works in the same way as an adult's long cane, but is designed for use by children
Blind people have used canes as mobility tools for centuries, but it was not until after World War I that the white cane was introduced. In 1921 James Biggs, a photographer from Bristol who became blind after an accident and was uncomfortable with the amount of traffic around his home, painted his walking stick white to be more easily visible. In 1931 in France, Guilly d'Herbemont launched a national white stick movement for blind people and in the USA President Lyndon Johnson was the first to make this proclamation.
The Rotary Club of Mount Abu with its women wing, the Inner Wheel Club Mount Abu joined hands with NAB – PNM, Rehabilitation Centre for the Blind, Mount Abu to celebrate the same with a difference. In their on going awareness program of “Agyaat Se Gyaat Tak” (from unknown to known) in which sighted groups are blindfolded and then are escorted by the Visually Challenged of the centre carrying their White Cane to the downtown has been going on since 1st. October, as this is not only the month of Right to Sight and the month in which “World Sight Day” is celebrated on 8th. October but the White Cane Day too is held world wide during this month on 15th. October. To signoff the program the centre was joined by the officers of local Air Force Station in uniform, to spread awareness about the abilities and the disabilities of the visually challenged and also the need to eradicate avoidable blindness, as every 5 second some one somewhere on the earth is becoming blind unnecessary and the number keeps increasing in which today half are from India and of which three-forth are women. The program had commenced on 1st. October with Bharat Scout members with their CO Mr. Jitnedra Singh Bhati, being the first volunteers followed by many organizations including the ladies of Inner Wheel Club with all their filial milk of kindness it was signed off today with the Station Commander Group Captain Mr. Deepak Kumar Maheshwari giving the commend of forward march to all his brave air officers and many others like Dr. Dengla the visually challenged principal of the centre, Mr. Daulatram Lalwani, today’s sponsor of the march to his hotel Maya International, Dr. A. K. Sharma the Hon, Sec. of the centre and all other staff of the centre!

Dr. Sharma

Holi is a festival of colors but it also burns wood. Let us do what the visually challenged of NAB - PNM, Rehabilitation Centre for the Blind, Mount Abu are doing. They invite as many people as possible to come and worship the Holika Burning at one place thus minimize wood burning, further they offer and exhort every one coming here to carry a sapling with them on a nominal payment of Rs. 2/ and take it home to grow it.