The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : ‘Nanna Kannu’ for hearing impaired

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Saturday, Jun 27, 2009
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‘Nanna Kannu’ for hearing impaired

Staff Reporter

Celebrating the spirit of Hellen Keller

Bangalore: To celebrate the spirit of Hellen Keller, the first deaf-blind American author to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree, Sankara Eye Hospital, Bangalore, in association with GE Money, is organising a vision screening programme for the children of Bangalore-based Shiela Kothavala Institute for the Deaf.

The programme is part of the “Nanna Kannu” initiative aimed at reaching out to 3,00,000 children from the vulnerable population for vision defects over the next three years.

It is estimated that there are more than 4,25,000 deaf-blind children in India.

According to a press release from the hospital, 155 children from the Sheila Kothavala Institute would be screened by a team of doctors from Sankara Eye Hospital.

The children would undergo a comprehensive eye examination and those requiring correction would be provided spectacles, surgeries or low vision aids with support from Sightsavers International and GE Money, the release said.

“This is to celebrate Helen Keller’s 129th birthday and the indomitable spirit and staunch determination she displayed to help the world’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged,” Ramani, founder and managing trustee of Sankara Eye Care Institution, has said in the release.

“Deaf children are heavily reliant on the sense of vision to develop efficient communication skills and explore the world around them. Any ophthalmic disorder may thus negatively impact on this process, especially if it is unrecognised in the early years of life,” he said.

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