Dilmah National Cricket Tournament 2017 for the blind and Visually challenged

The 6th Dilmah Challenge Trophy National Blind Cricket Tournament is set to begin tomorrow, it has been announced. The tournament, which will run over the course of nearly two months from 3 June-29 July, will see 11 teams taking part in 30 matches across Colombo and Monaragala. 

This year’s tournament is being organised by Dilmah, who have been supporting the event since 2005, and the Sri Lanka Cricket Association for the Visually Handicapped (SLCAVH). Together they hope to attract many more novice players to the sport by giving all teams registered with the SLCAVH the chance to compete at a national level, with the tournament’s best players being selected to play for the national side. The teams, which include those from the North as well as Army personnel, will consist of both fully and partially blind cricketers.

“It reflects a commitment not only as a business and a family but as a nation, to recognise these gentlemen and to recognise their ability to celebrate what they can do, and not to focus on what they cannot,” said Dilmah Marketing Director Dilhan Fernando at media briefing on Wednesday. 

“We have been very honoured for several years to have been involved with several of them, and why that has been particularly inspiring is the effect it has had on each of them. Many of the young men who have participated have gone on to develop themselves, because the most important thing of this challenge trophy is the dignity that it offers the contestants.”

Sri Lanka has been the third best team in the world since 2012 and Norbert Silva, Secretary of the Sri Lanka Cricket Association for the Visually Handicapped, expressed his gratitude to Dilmah for their continuous support in this achievement.

“Dilmah are the first organisation who joined us to uplift and upgrade cricket for the visually handicapped. I think before 2005 we couldn’t arrange any national tournaments but now we’re about to hold our sixth one. It has at times been a challenge to try and improve cricket for the visually handicapped in the country but we had to accept the challenge, if not we would’ve have been neglected.” 

The national blind cricket tournament is a cause close to the heart of Dilmah Founder, Merrill J. Fernando, who established the MJF Charitable Foundation to fulfil his commitment of making “business a matter of human service”.

Said Fernando in a press release: “A national blind cricket tournament is a manifestation of their strengths. It is everyone’s responsibility to help them develop their talents. Sri Lanka is known as a cricket country and the Dilmah country, and I hope that visually impaired cricketers will gain due recognition through the event.”

Apart from supporting the national blind cricket tournament, the MJF Charitable Foundation has throughout the years assisted the visually impaired through various initiatives such as the annual AIDEX sports meet that rewards the talents of the differently-abled community in Sri Lanka and the Knowledge Chest initiative which voice records publications to ensure those who are visually impaired have access to vital publications without having to bear the high cost of Braille books. The MJF Charitable Foundation is also working closely with the School for the Deaf and Blind in Ratmalana and Subhagya Vidyalaya - the School for the Hearing and Visual lmpaired in Moneragala. (MB)-Pix by Upul Abayasekera

http://www.ft.lk/article/619359/Blind-Cricket--Dilmah-Challenge-Trophy-tomorrow

The Asian Pacific Chess Championship for the Visually Challenge 2017.

I was so happy to be selected for the Asian chess tournament for the visually challenge 2017. The tournament was an individual tournament and 3 players were selected for the tournament from Sri Lanka.

This was the first time I represented my country in an international sports event. The tournament was very tuff. Indian players dominated the tournament, winning the top 5 places. I placed 20^th in the tournament by getting 2 points out of 8 rounds, while my other team members got 1 point each. I had some good wins against higher rated visually challenged players via Skype real time tournaments before we went to India for the Asian Chess tournament, but when it comes to real tournament games the atmosphere is totally different. We last played our national tournament in 2014, since then we didn’t have any tournaments organized for the visually challenged players in Sri Lanka. This was a great experience for me.

During the tournament we had 2 workshops in the topic of “How to develop Chess in Asia for the visually challenge”.  And I learned a lot from the case study presented by Mr. Charu Daththa how they developed Chess in India for the visually challenged. What I felt was we are in a similar situation where India was in 1998. No one has taken the responsibility to develop Chess in Sri Lanka for the visually challenged.  This is a good time for all Chess lovers in Sri Lanka to get together and develop Chess for the visually challenge in Sri Lanka.

Helping visually challenged friends part 1

Hospitality means helping people feel comfortable in your home. There are limits, of course. You can’t let guests eat all your food or kick you out of your own bed. But other than extremes, you want to be a good host, roommate, or partner.

Things get a bit complicated when you’re working with someone who has vision problems. It could be blindness, or it could just be a problem with glare and clarity. But how can you show good hospitality when working with the visually impaired? You make some simple changes, that’s how.

 Focus On Colours and Contrasts

Making things colourful for people with vision problems might not make sense at first. But remember that not all vision impairments are blindness. Many people can still see — they just have trouble seeing clearly or differentiating between objects.

That’s why colour and contrast are two indispensable tools for you. Solid, bright colours are easier to see, so they can make things easier for anyone with a vision problem. On the opposite end, avoid dark colours (dark blues, browns, and blacks) as they can look identical.

Contrast is another way to help the visually impaired live more fully in your home. Light objects against dark backgrounds (and vice versa) can make them much easier to focus on. That’s also why you should avoid pale or clear items like glasses. Put a white piece of paper on a light-coloured wall, and some people might not be able to see it at all. 

Getting Your Kitchen Organized

Even if someone isn’t fully blind, anyone with a visual impairment will rely on predictability and organization. That’s because they cannot trust their eyes like others do. You can take advantage of that to help people with vision problems work in your kitchen more safely and comfortably.

Start by getting large labels and clearly writing (with colour and contrast in mind) what’s inside a given can, box, or container. You probably don’t have to label a gallon of milk this way since the shape and colour are familiar. But doing this for canned goods can mean the difference between rice-n-beans and rice-n-green beans.

You’ll also want to organize things in the kitchen. Keep all the spices in one place, preferably not over the stove. Put all pans in one cabinet, pots in another, and make sure you get the right lids with the right cookware. You can even organize your fridge by always putting drinks on one shelf, vegetables in the crisper, and so on.

Pay Close Attention to Floors

Unless you have a problem with your vision, you probably don’t think about how the floors in your home can be a problem. If there’s something in the way or a rug that you know can move about, you just step around it. But that’s hard to do when you have trouble seeing those.

That’s why you need to examine your floors for any trouble spots. Make sure your carpeting isn’t worn or torn, and tape/tack any area rugs so they won’t move. If you have tile or wood flooring, check to see how much glare comes off them. A shiny hardwood floor in strong lighting might look pretty, but if you have vision problems, it could be one giant glare — and a serious problem to walk on.

Lastly, make sure there’s as many straight paths inside as possible. The last thing you want is someone with impaired vision to have to navigate a twisty path around footrests, standing lamps, out-of-place chairs, and random boxes on the floor.

Everyone Can Feel Welcome

Having a houseguest that has a visual impairment can be intimidating. How can you make sure they’re safe and comfortable? By paying attention to colour and contrast, organizing things in the kitchen, and the state of your floors, you can help everyone feel welcome. It also doesn’t hurt to keep in mind that your guest might be facing other issues, such as depression (which in extreme cases can even lead to substance abuse and addiction). Beyond just making your home more suitable, try to show some compassion and put yourself in their shoes.

By Jackie Waters.