Visually Impaired Guide Drivers in Unique Ahmedabad Car Rally Using Braille Maps

In this unique rally, a visually impaired participant and a driver sit together in a car, with the visually impaired person guiding the driver along the route using a Braille map.

More than 100 people participated in the event. One participant, car driver Ketan Chavda, shared that his partner, Haresh Hindocha, who is blind, was given a rally map to read and provide instructions to the driver.

Chavda explained that Hindocha would guide him by providing specific directions throughout the course. In this way, the drivers navigate the route by following the precise instructions provided by their partners.

"During the time of flag off, they give us a map of the rail, which they read and give us instructions, that we have to take left from the front, from the helmet circle, we have to take right, for example. If you go from there, you go towards Commerce Road. In this way, we have to drive accordingly. He has full confidence. He has been doing this for a long time. He has finished first twice and now finished second," Chavda told ANI.

During the event, Haresh Hindocha, a visually impaired participant, noted that the organisers provide a speed chart in addition to the Braille map. He explained that participants are expected to manage their time accordingly.

"I participate in the car rally organised by Roundtable. We are given a chart in Braille which we have to read and tell our driver. We are also given a speed chart. This is not a race rally but a car rally. We have to drive according to the time management," Hindocha told ANI.

Bhushan Purani, General Secretary of Anjan Mandal, stated that the event aims to convey to society that visually impaired individuals can also provide guidance when given the opportunity. He emphasised that, with the right platform, blind people are fully capable of leading and directing others.

"100 cars have participated in this 65 km rally. The blind person guides the driver as to which direction to go, which landmark to take a turn at, and what speed to maintain. This rally brings people closer to the blind. The leadership of the blind person is accepted. We want to tell society that if a blind person is given an opportunity, he can also guide," said Purani.

After flagging off the event, GS Malik, Police Commissioner of Ahmedabad, asserted that everyone should live in an inclusive society. He further highlighted that to make the force more sensitive toward blind people, officers must undergo practical sensitisation.

He noted that on the first and third Saturdays of the month, 15 to 20 police officers regularly visit the facility on Commerce Road. During these visits, they experience the "darkroom" and learn how to behave appropriately in that specific setup.

"I would like to tell all the blind people to live in an inclusive society. Everyone should live in an inclusive society. This is an important part of society. The police should be sensitive. On the first and third Saturdays, 15 to 20 police officers regularly visit this location. After visiting the place, they learn about the darkroom and how to behave in the setup. Then we call them to the police commission. We personally check their feedback," Malik told ANI.

- ANI