Esra Vazirally.

Our course started with us learning to use Braille to make visiting cards. It seemed particularly easy but actually took us more than an hour to get it right. The card was supposed to be visually appealing as well as suited for a visually challenged person.

         Our homework assignment that particular day was to make a t-shirt that again had the same characteristics. I decided to use a classic white collared t shirt with no writing what- so-ever, as I wanted to create something new and not build upon something that already existed so I decided to make the front of the shirt appealing for those who can see.

          Whilst the back of the shirt I used materials such as ribbons, threads, beads, small thin metal bangles. And feathers. I used thick thread to write “happiness” in Braille. While I used the bangles to create the Olympics sign. The shirt was meant to have different textures to be fun and energetic to bring out the feel of the start of the Olympics.

             We were then divided into groups in which I was put into the group of institutional policy for blind people, where we interviewed M.A.I.S. A student named Shalini Menon went to this school and we had surveyed all her teachers and the area where she spent the most time. Asking questions to Mr. Joel and Mrs.Beena. We had tried to successfully carry one out for Srishti but did not succeed as there are no experiences with students like Shalini. We then had to make a poster to again please both concerned parties. So I decided to go with a colorful poster while attaching a nice feather to make it softer and more elegant. Whilst attaching a handmade paper with oil paints. Both papers put together to create a completely different feel to it. The quotes I used on the paper weren’t your typical sentence to support the cause but rather to make people aware of what visually impaired people like Helen Keller could do.

              I learnt a lot from this particular task. We also watched a documentary on how a man uses nature to create different textures and to build upon the surrounding environment.

Once again we were split into groups where I got put into the groups of making pamphlets for visually impaired and visually capable visitors. We carried enough research, enough to make adequate notes to turn into a pamphlet. Whilst also creating a map that was then traced to look and feel like the Srishti building.