Wherever Microsoft does business, we are active members of the communities in which we live and work. At the Microsoft India Development Center (MSIDC) in Hyderabad, some employees took a particular interest in the needs of the visually impaired.
Juhee Ahmed and fellow employees of the MSIDC contributed to create a the Mobility & Sensory Stimulation Park—the first of its kind in the world. The park, which was fully funded by contributions received from MSIDC employees through the Microsoft Employee Giving Campaign, exposes visually challenged people to non-visual sensory experiences. By offering multi-sensory experiences such as touch, hearing, smell, and taste, the park serves as a place where people young and old can come to learn various techniques that will assist them in their daily lives. The Mobility and Sensory Stimulation Park includes a perfumed flower and herb garden, spices and aromatics, different textured walking paths and a waterfall—all designed to heighten the sensory experience in a playful manner. While one of the main focuses of the park is on the services for those who are visually impaired, it was also created to sensitize the issue of vision loss to the public using Vision simulators.
In addition, the campaign generated funds to establish a Counseling Helpline for the Visually Impaired and conduct close to 2,500 eye sight restoring surgeries.
| Juhee Ahmed and fellow employees of the MSIDC contributed to create a the Mobility & Sensory Stimulation Park—the first of its kind in the world. |
Juhee is featured on the Microsoft Facebook Page in #ICreatedThis, an ongoing series that showcases people doing interesting things at Microsoft and with Microsoft technology. Know someone else doing something amazing? Tweet us @Microsoft using the #ICreatedThis hashtag or email the story to cmgsocial@microsoft.com.
Rob Wolf
Microsoft News Center Staff