In a bid to widen the reach of the message of an inclusive society, White Print, India’s first English lifestyle magazine in Braille, has released Look Out, Look Within, a storybook in print, Braille and sign language.“Through White Print and Tactabet (Braille-Tactile alphabet book project), we’ve strived to encourage and promote Braille literacy across our country. It has been an immensely gratifying learning process for us. We’ve come to realise that there is a great need to shift existing perceptions and pre-conceived notions about the lives of the differently-abled people.

It’s imperative to address the subject of an ‘inclusive’ society and sow this seed of thought at a young age in the minds of children,” says Upasana Makati, Founder, White Print. Makati has distributed complimentary Braille copies of the book to 100 schools in the country.

Look Out, Look Within celebrates the friendship of two little girls, each wonderful and special in her own way. Mia is unable to see the world with her eyes but explores it with her super senses of being able to touch, hear, feel and smell. Anya, her best friend learns about the world in an enriching way thanks to Mia. 

“Some stories just come to you out of the blue and become a part of you instantly. This was one such project. During my research, I was humbled to read the amazing success stories of visually-challenged people. I realized technology can be an equalizer; it only needs a right mindset to see everyone as equally talented and able,” says author Vandana Naidu.

The book has been illustrated by Neha Talesara,  an NID alumnus. “Working on this project has been an absolute joyride. It gave me an opportunity to channelize my love for art in a beautiful way. The illustrations have the hand-drawn feel to them,” she says.