Car rally for blind ends, Ahmedabad's good show continues

AHMEDABAD: The Braille sheet in front of Payal Sharma had the map of the route of Car Rally for Blind, whereas driver of her car had no idea which twists and turns they had in store for them.
"I cannot see the road but know the route - my driver can see the road but doesn't know the route.
So, it's surely a role reversal. It's my third rally, and every rally has brought in a new experience for me," said Sharma, a teacher by profession.
Sunday was special for Round Table and Blind People's Association (BPA) - organizers of the event - as it was the 25th edition of the rally, one of the highest for any city in India hosting such events.
The idea originated in Mumbai in mid-1990s with the National Association for the Blind (NAB), and over the years is organized in Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, etc.
"But Ahmedabad has remained one of the most consistent cities to host the event year after year," said Vikas Modi, chairperson of Round Table 40 Ahmedabad.
"Primary purpose of the event is to bring the drivers - coming from various walks of life - to the blind navigators. It's a rare peek for both the navigator and driver into each other's worlds."
The route is printed in Braille on the sheets given to the navigators just ahead of the rally, and even the navigators are assigned through draw so that there are no static teams over the years.
Bhushan Punani, the general secretary of BPA, said that with fewer avenues for the blind to mingle with other population, the experiment is a huge success.
"Over 3-4 hours the teams are together, they slowly get to know each other, and it often results in friendships. We often get accounts that the participants later offer jobs or donations to ensure that persons with visual impairment get equal opportunity," he said.