Microsoft Volunteers With VE

“Volunteerism is the voice of the people put into action. These actions shape and mould the present into a future of which we can all be proud.” – Helen Dyer

As part of celebrating the month of giving, our partner- Microsoft India decided to give Vision Empower one of the most valuable resources, their time. Through volunteering sessions organised by Vision Empower in the cities of Bangalore, Delhi and Hyderabad, the Microsoft employees got to learn about VE interventions while engaging with our students from special schools.

The first volunteering session was organised on 28th October 2022 at IIIT-Bangalore. 12 employees from Microsoft Bangalore learnt about VE interventions, created DIY tactile diagrams taught by the VE team as well as played Computational Thinking games with children from Karnataka Welfare Association for the Blind (KWAB), a special school VE works with. The students and volunteers exchange a lot of stories and smiles through the game sessions.

The third volunteering session was organised on 18th November in Delhi. 12 Volunteers from Microsoft Delhi first assembled at the National Centre for Assistive Health Technologies (NCAHT), IIT Delhi where they attended a sensitization session conducted by the NCAHT team followed by an introduction to Vision Empower and its interventions. The volunteers along with VE Team further visited the National Association for the Blind, Delhi campus where they interacted and played Computational Thinking games like Snakes and Ladder, Market Game, and Tic-Tac-Toe with students from grades 2 and 4. The volunteers also created one tactile diagram each. Towards the end, VE Team distributed goodies to the children receiving which the children were all smiles.

The second volunteering session was organised on 11th November at Devnar School for the Blind in Hyderabad where 25 Microsoft volunteers participated in the various activities and sessions. The volunteers first were given a campus tour by the Headmaster of Devnar School where they visited the school’s library, science lab, Braille press and computer lab. Post that, the VE Team oriented the volunteers on learning resources like braille books, tactile diagrams and customised learning tools used by students with visual impairment. During these interactive sessions, students also demonstrated their ways of learning using the Braille dots, slate, stylus and the Taylor frame. The volunteers also expressed to the students the need for making Microsoft products accessible to all. The session came to an end as the students shared their ambitions and dreams with the volunteers with an interest in knowing about their careers, work schedule and technologies they use on a day-to-day basis.

These sessions were full of exchanging ideas, learnings and memories for the Microsoft volunteers, VE Team and the students.

Vision Empower is truly grateful to Microsoft for its commitment towards the cause of inclusion and accessibility.