Insight is conducting a four-day class on ‘Introduction to HTML’ to the master trainers here. HTML is the most popular markup language for creating a website. A website is a virtual space for presenting a matter in a way that it turns on the visual modality of a person. But the imagery spins that most websites resort to are immaterial for a visually challenged person. The HTML lessons at Insight is a prerequisite and an attempt at discovering how a visually challenged person perceives a visual dominated realm. The class that began on 16 August will conclude on 19 August. Insight will assess the post-session performance of the participants to identify the potentiality of an advanced course in HTML.

Participants of the Insight training programme took the exams administered by IGNOU on 7 August 2010. Twenty one visually challenged students, including students of the fourth batch of the two-month training programme, appeared for the test. The examination was superintended by Prof. T U K Menon, programme-in-charge officer, IGNOU.

Seventeen students of the fourth batch of Communication and Soft Skill Development programme bid goodbye to Insight on August 6. A tearful ceremony marked the farewell day with the students sharing their remembrances of 60 days of learning and fun at Insight. They thanked each and every member of the Insight staff for “being the light of their eyes”, the light that mined a path, which Insight believes will change their lives forever, if only they walk on it. Some of the Insight members recollected their mellow and bitter memories of the past two months. There was a lot said but much more unsaid and only a few teardrops could speak of the genial aura that environed Insight. The students gifted Insight with a chiming clock with 12 melodies as a memento. Now, when the clock chimes its rhythm to intimate the hour that lingered and lapsed, Insight is reminded of those unseeing and half-closed eyes that looked into the alchemistic days ahead with a bit of blue sky. Someone once rightly said the best things said come last.

A sensitization programme on the exploitation of technology for the betterment of marginalized section of people in Kerala was held at Sociology Department, University of Kerala on 17 July. It was attended by more than 40 students of M.S.W and M.A. (Sociology) streams of the university. The programme started at 10.30 am with an introduction by Prof. Manu Bhaskar (Head of the Department, Sociology). Sri. James Mathew, project co-ordinator, Insight, delivered a talk on the activities of the Insight project. He highlighted the issues faced by the visually challenged community and requested the help of the attendees, quantitatively establishing many of the issues that were identified as part of their project work.

Sri. Prinson delivered a presentation on Village Documentation and Community Computing (VDCC) project. He described the rationale behind VDCC and elaborated on its current activities in Munnar. He requested the students to come up with ideas for replicating similar models in other districts.