The Business Bytes
BHUBANESWAR, APRIL 12, 2024 (TBB BUREAU): In a significant stride towards fostering inclusivity and accessibility, JSP Foundation, the social arm of Jindal Steel & Power (JSP), inaugurated the ‘Jindal Gyan’ assistive devices library in Bhubaneswar. This pioneering initiative, tailored to cater to the needs of the visually impaired community, underscores the foundation’s commitment to creating a more inclusive society.
The Principal Secretary of the SSEPD Department of the Odisha, Bishnupada Sethi, inaugurated the library in the presence Jindal Steel & Power President and Group Head (CSR) Prashant Hota, SVNIRTAR Cuttack Head of the Department of Prosthetics and Orthotics Prof. Srikant Maharana, President of the Odisha Association of the Blind Sanyasi Behera and We4You Secretary Abhaya Mohanta on Thursday.
Located at Khandagiribari in the city, the ‘Jindal Gyan’ library will be managed by the We4You Charitable Trust, a reputed social organisation renowned for its commitment to serving marginalized communities. This initiative marks a significant milestone as the first of its kind in Bhubaneswar, aiming to empower visually impaired individuals by providing them access to cutting-edge assistive devices leveraging advanced technologies.
Addressing the gathering, Bishnupada Sethi lauded the innovative efforts of JSP Foundation and We4You in empowering visually impaired individuals. “When we plan to give good devices to visually impaired persons, we have to search for them. This library offers highly advanced devices that can assist in choosing the most suitable option. I am confident that this library will greatly improve the lives of individuals with visual impairments, making their daily tasks more manageable and enjoyable,” he said.
Prashant Hota echoed similar sentiments, highlighting the Foundation’s vision of building an inclusive India inspired by Shallu Jindal, Chairperson of JSP Foundation. “Inspired by the vision of Smt. Shallu Jindal ji, Chairperson, JSP Foundation, we always envision building an inclusive India. This library is one of our small efforts in this direction. We are optimistic that this library will serve as a model for making a positive impact on the lives of visually impaired individuals in Bhubaneswar,” said Hota.
The ‘Jindal Gyan’ library aims to promote inclusion and independence among the visually impaired community through the utilization of advanced technology, thereby increasing accessibility. With a diverse range of over 100 advanced assistive devices sourced from various regions in India and abroad, including speech recognition devices, mobility aids, and communication devices, the library offers visually impaired individuals the opportunity to enhance their quality of life in various aspects such as daily tasks, education, and health.
Professionals will provide training to ensure proper usage of the devices, further empowering the visually impaired individuals. Additionally, the library will support research and development efforts aimed at diversifying assistive technologies tailored to the needs of those with visual impairments.
In a bid to promote literacy and knowledge dissemination, the library will also provide access to audio books on a wide range of subjects developed by We4You, further enriching the learning experience for visually impaired individuals.
