Books without barriers

January 6, 2026 Unknown Wizards Valli Sarvani

Access to books should be a right, not a luxury, yet for many visually impaired students in Tamil Nadu, it has long felt out of reach.

In Silattur, classroom lessons happen every day, but independent reading often does not. That changed because of one teacher’s vision.

Pon Sakthivel, a 34-year-old Tamil instructor at the Government Higher Secondary School in Silattur, is proof that barriers can be broken.

Born with visual impairment in Shanmuganathapuram near Alangudi, he faced a lifetime of challenges accessing reading material.

Throughout his schooling, he depended on others to read aloud. This constant reliance shaped his purpose: to make books accessible for visually impaired readers across the state.

Since 2019, Sakthivel has converted more than 2,000 printed books into digital formats that visually impaired readers can use independently.

These include audio-enabled e-books and files compatible with screen readers. Among the works he has digitised are significant Tamil titles, such as Anandarangam’s Diaries, the six-volume autobiography Nenjukku Neethi by M Karunanidhi, and Sahitya Akademi publications that once existed only in print.

Sakthivel’s mission extends beyond mere convenience. He explains that when books are unavailable, visually impaired students have to rely on others, which gradually impacts their confidence.

To address this issue, he provides and sometimes gifts books to his students, emphasising his belief that education fosters dignity and self-assurance.

After earning his BA from American College in Madurai, Sakthivel pursued an M Phil focusing on technology for the visually impaired.

He later started a PhD at Gandhigram Rural University. A central government research grant allowed him to purchase a duplex scanner for ₹65,000.

Using OCR software, he scans books into editable formats that can be read aloud, magnified, or converted to Braille.

Sakthivel also sources books by attending major book fairs in Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Erode, and Tiruchy.

He gathers wishlists from readers, who pool money to buy books, then digitises them at no extra cost.

In 2023, he launched a WhatsApp initiative, Viral Mozhiyin Nool Thirattu, where members contribute ₹500 to fund book purchases. By 2025, the group had completed 16 reading cycles and continues to expand.

Beyond digitisation, Sakthivel runs a YouTube channel where he reviews Tamil books in single takes from memory, helping visually impaired readers discover new titles.

Despite logistical issues like delayed deliveries to his village, he remains committed to his cause.

Through his work, Sakthivel highlights a critical need: publishers must release accessible formats simultaneously, and institutions must invest in assistive technology.

His efforts demonstrate that when books are within reach, so too is independence.

Image from Pxhere (Free for commercial use / CC0 Public Domain)

Image Published on March 21, 2017