A Digitally Accessible World

I was at WordCamp Pune 2015, yesterday. It was the second  (but my first) such event in Pune. Had great fun learning about different dimensions of WordPress as also about the people who are crazy about WordPress. More about that event separately.

Raghava running and looking up
into the skies.

This post is about someone special who I had an opportunity to meet with, at WCPune -  this 28 year old Raghavendra Satish Peri (just call him Raghava). I caught him in one of the rooms where a session on Digital Accessibility was to take place. Here he was, sitting alone, moving his deft fingers on his smartphone going through whole lot of options at a speed much faster than most of us would.

During the next 40 minutes plus that he addressed us,  he had all of us in awe with what all he was able to do though not being able to see. Aren;t all our limitations are just our own perceptions?!

He not only introduced us - by giving first hand experience - to the world of accessibility (he made us switch to accessibility options on our mobiles and operate with eyes closed) he also told us a lot of things about himself. He does a lot of shopping online including booking his tickets and buying stuff from eCommerce sites.  A brief peep into his profile ( from linkedIn):

I am a “digital accessibility & Digital Marketing” Consultant , Trainer, Speaker & Entrepreneur specializing in SEO Audit Consulting, Social Media Consulting, Content Marketing Strategy, Web Accessibility & Mobile Accessibility.


As an entrepreneur I helped multiple small business owners with SEO Audits, SEO Strategy and Consulting, Social Media Marketing Services & Content Marketing Strategy. I bring more than 8 yrs of experience in the Online Marketing Space & I personally worked with various Authors, Speakers, and Entrepreneurs & Industry leaders in various fields.
Currently I work with Deque Software as digital Accessibility Consultant where i engage with various clients in their Accessibility Audits & Accessibility Consulting for both web & mobile platforms.
Not only this, he recently ran 21 km (Half) Marathon at Hyderabad.

He talked of initiatives that are happening on the front of digital accessibility and of Modi Govt's support for making some 20,000 plus websites digitally accessible.

Wonderful knowing this wonderful guy. As he lost his sight (when he was getting out of his teens), he has gained in other aspects of human senses. Today he is able to process audio at super speed (he was using a screen reader software which we were not able to follow) and loves to listen to audio books (as opposed to reading eBooks).

He writes his own blogs. Catch him at raghava.in   And if Raghava ever happens to read this post, he will know that I have used an Alternate Text for the image that you see here so he will know what this image is about.

And thank you WCPune for this opportunity

Anandi Chai

आनंद चाय की रेसिपी 

सेवा का जल लें, उसमें प्रेम की पत्ती  डालें
इस मिश्रण  को साधना की अग्नि पर उबालें
फिर सौहार्द की चीनी और सामंजस्य का दूध डालें


आनंद रूपी चाय तैयार है - इसे सबको बांटें 

जब जागे तब सवेरा

जब जागे  तब सवेरा  

सोचा जब मन में तो जाना, क्या मैं ले कर आया 

ऐसा क्या कुछ किया था मैंने, जो इतना कुछ पाया 

इधर उधर की ऊँच नीच में, जीवन व्यर्थ गवांया 

साँझ काल होने को आई, तब कुछ समझ में आया 

मार्ग नहीं है सुगम यह जाना, प्रथम कदम जो बढ़ाया 

सद्गुरु आकर हाथ को थामा, उचित मार्ग दिखलाया

My First Post

My first post is dedicated to my Master, my Guru...

(On Swami Tejomayananda's 65th Birthday: 30th June 2015)

गुरु तुम मेरे जीवन हो, संबल हो और शक्ति हो । 

मेरे जीवन के निर्माण की, तुम सुन्दर अभिव्यक्ति हो ॥   

गुरु परंपरा के तुम पालक, महामार्ग के अनुगामी । 

गुरु चिन्मय के सेवक हो तुम, मेरे मन के हो स्वामी ॥ 

प्रभु मुझको बस इतना वर दो, मन में केवल भक्ति हो ॥१॥ मेरे जीवन के... 

मार्ग कठिन होता जब जग में, मन में मेरे जागे भय । 

अंधकार को दूर भगाते, गुरु तुम मेरे तेजोमय ॥ 

हृदय पटल  को करे प्रकाशित, दीप श्रृंखला पंक्ति हो ॥२॥ मेरे जीवन के... 

श्रेय की इच्छा प्रेय प्रलोभन, करते मेरी गति को मंद । 

हाथ पकड़ कर सही मार्ग पर, गुरु मुझमें लाते आनंद ॥

मोहमाया के पाश को काटे, भवसागर से मुक्ति हो ॥३॥ मेरे जीवन के... 

गुरु सबसे ऊँचा जीवन में, बाकी सब कुछ दूजा है । 

गुरु चरणों की सेवा ही, मात्र मेरी इक पूजा है ॥ 

परमेश्वर से हर पल मांगूं, गुरुपद में अनुरक्ति हो ॥४॥ मेरे जीवन के...

--- English Translation ---

O Master (Guru), you are my life - my support and my strength,

You are the beautiful expression of my creation/ existence ||

You are the preserver of the Guru tradition - follower of this grand path

Sevak of Guru Chinmaya, you are the master (Lord)  of my heart,

Just bless me O Lord, that my bosom may be filled only with devotion ||1|| You are the....

Whenever the the going gets tough in the world, the heart gets scared (with apprehension),

You dispel all the darkness,  My master O Radiant/ Glorious one,

One which illumines my heart, you are that series of rows of lamps ||2|| You are the....

Desire to attain the Shreyas and falling prey to the Preyas, slow down my progress,

Holding my hand, guiding me on the right path, the master fills me with bliss,

One that cuts the bondage of delusion and illusion, you are my liberation from this ocean of samsara ||3|| You are the....

Guru holds topmost position in (my) life, everything else is secondary, 

To serve at the lotus feet of the master, is the only worship I know,

Every moment I ask the supreme lord, that all my affection may be for my master's feet ||4|| You are the....

Video Rendering of the Poem