The signage project was a collaborative effort where the designer partnered with teachers and students to create a unique system that worked for both the visually impaired and the sighted at the Poona School for Blind Girls in India. This community involvement created a sense of ownership and a shared joy of creation. Once installed, the highly tactile (for the blind) and brightly colored (for the partially blind) signage system created an empowered and accessible environment that was kinder and gentler.

Neeta Verma is a graphic designer who views the profession of graphic design as a service. Throughout her practice, she has defined her role and the role of graphic design as one that serves as a catalyst within a societal context. She believes that as designers we have both the ability and responsibility toward a practice that is not just determined by “need” but more importantly by “relevance”. She prefers to call herself a solution finder or an experience creator. This allows her to shift her clients from seeking tangible end products to focusing on analyzing and understanding what their design and communication needs truly are.

The Poona School and Home for the Blind Girls is a school that serves visually impaired girls from the ages 6 all the way until 21. It was established in the year 1974 in the city of Pune, India. The school is a boarding school where students are given education in their early years and vocational training as they prepare to graduate and step out into society. The blind school trust promotes inclusivity in its policy by accepting visually impaired girls from all socio-economic backgrounds. It aims at fully integrating these students with the environment outside as independent members of our modern society. Currently, the school serves around 121 girls at its facility. Most of these students are also residents on campus. The education and boarding are entirely supported by the trust and provided to the students free of charge.