Mangalore: The Sahodaya Association of St Aloysius (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru celebrated ‘Helen Keller Day’ on 27th June 2025 at Joseph Willy Hall. The United Nations has recently designated this day as the ‘International Day of Deafblindness’.The day is observed to honour the life and achievements of Helen Keller and to raise awareness about the rights and empowerment of individuals with disabilities.
Nguyen Thi Than Nhan, a Vietnamese national, currently pursuing PhD research work in Social Work specialising in disabilities from Mangalore University served as the resource person. She shared her experience of working with youth with disabilities in Vietnam. Highlighting the Vocational Training Project organised by Caritas Danang, Vietnam she explained how the initiative equips young people with disabilities with both vocational and social life skills offering them certificates. She demonstrated that with various training on social skills, vocational courses and extracurricular activities, individuals with disabilities could become employable. She encouraged the young participants to actively contribute to promoting inclusion and empowerment for people with disabilities.
Dr Roshan Fredrick Dsouza, Assistant Professor, welcomed the gathering. Dr Charles Furtado, Director of Admin Block gave an opening remark highlighting the life of Helen Keller and invited all participants to be empathetic with specially-abled persons. The staff coordinator of the programme, Bhoomika, Assistant Professor, Department of BCA proposed the vote of thanks. The student coordinator Shravan Acharya, presidents and secretaries of Sahodaya were present.
About Helen Keller: Helen Keller was an American author, educator, and disability rights advocate who overcame the immense challenges of being both blind and deaf. With the help of her devoted teacher, Anne Sullivan, she learned to communicate using sign language and eventually mastered speech and writing. Keller became the first deaf-blind person to earn a college degree and went on to inspire millions through her writings, speeches, and tireless work for people with disabilities. Her life stands as a powerful symbol of courage and perseverance in the face of adversity.