In darkness, sound brings a new world Priyanjana Dutta CNN-IBN Posted Saturday , December 16, 2006 at 12:33 Updated Saturday , December 16, 2006 at 13:36
AN EQUAL MUSIC: Campus radio is a radio station run for the blind, of the blind and by the blind. Bangalore: "Video killed the radio star" go the lines of a famous song by the British group, The Buggles. But now the opening of the air waves has proven to be a boon for many who are unable to experience with their eyes what they can hear with their ears. Says Ashish Sen of Voices, "If you are visually challenged or if you are a person with low vision the audio factor assumes critical significance." Perhaps nobody knows that better than 28-year-old Manjappa. He has been with the Maharishi Ramana Academy for the Blind (SMRAB) for as long as he can remember, but for the first time in so many years his dream is about to be realised. The academy has applied for a broadcast license for campus radio - a unique initiative which seeks to revolutionise the air waves like never before, a radio station run for the blind, of the blind and by the blind. Says Manjappa, "There are lots of disabled people in villages who are not aware of their rights. We have 250 blind students in our school and the people in the villages must be educated on their condition, which is why campus radio is a novel concept." Says Special educator, SMRAB, G S Lakshmana Iyer, "We have applied for the license and we will shortly be done and over with other formalities also. It is a good opportunity for us to see that activities within the campus are highlighted." It will take the academy a couple of months before they can start broadcasting, but there's no stopping the training sessions. However, unlike community radio, in campus radio the ownership and management lies with the university or the educational institution. But with time, campus radio could become community radio. "In time the lines will blur and the decision to grant a license to RMA is a front runner certainly in the area of disabilities because when you are talking about marginalised communities, access to information is a precious commodity and here a radio station for people with disabilities will go a long way in plugging this gap," says Ashish Sen. The airwaves have never generated so much excitement. Thirty-five year old Carmel, an administrative assistant at the Academy may be physically challenged, but that doesn't stop her from walking that extra distance to the studio. She's keen on getting her hands on deck once the radio station starts broadcasting. "I think I am very good at communication and this will be a great boon to me to improve my skills," says she. It doesn't get more democratic than this - media for, by and of the community, the first step towards making use of radio innovatively for empowering the disabled. http://www.ibnlive.com/news/in-darkness-sound-brings-a-new-world/28644-3.html To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
