Dehradun: Confident that he has the gift of the gab, 25-year-old Deepu says he is blind but his voice can make people laugh and cry. He is among a group of visually-impaired youngsters being trained at a community radio station here to become radio jockeys. An initiative of the National Institute for the Visually Handicapped (NIVH), the 91.2 NIVH Hello Doon community radio is also providing experience to these youngsters on producing and hosting their own shows, thus opening up new employment avenues and fostering self-sufficiency.
The training programme is being conducted by the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (NIEPVD).
Mr. Deepu says,
I have a lot of interest in this. A radio jockey’s work is not just playing songs or updating people, they make people cry and laugh. This is what I want to do. I am blind, I laugh and I want to make my audience laugh too.
The trainees have hosted a variety of shows, ranging from raising awareness about social issues to educational and entertainment programmes. Pappu (23), another trainee, expressed his gratitude for the opportunity. He said,
I came and recorded the best stories and tried to develop my working abilities with the opportunity provided
The true essence of the radio station lay not only in the empowerment of these youngsters but in their journey towards self-sufficiency and confidence. Chetna Gola, the programme’s producer said,
By opening up new employment avenues, the station aimed to make the visually impaired self-reliant and break the barriers of perception and opportunity
She clarified that the programme does not offer a degree or diploma but is more a platform for the visually impaired to learn about radio and explore it as a career. She further said,
Those people who were not being heard by anyone, today, when they hear their own voice or a song sung by them or when we use a script which they have written and, after editing, they hear the final product, then they have an unseen happiness on their face
NIEPVD Director Manish Verma said the visually-impaired trainees at 91.2 NIVH Hello Doon craft their shows with dedication and passion, writing their own scripts and producing their own shows on various subjects. They also produce some entertainment shows.
Also Read: Visually Impaired Devshree Overcomes Barriers, Receives PhD From University In Chhattisgarh
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – theLGBTQ population,indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the currentCOVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water,SanitationandHygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fightmalnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health,adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues likeair pollution,waste management,plastic ban,manual scavengingand sanitation workers andmenstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India wheretoiletsare used andopen defecation free (ODF)status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched byPrime Minister Narendra Modiin 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
