Bhubaneswar, July 23: Advertisements conceptualised by him have charmed television audiences. But Swasti Ranjan Ray is more proud of “Eyecan”, a set of tools he developed to help the visually impaired to paint and draw.

The product has been crafted to enable the visually impaired to recognise basic colours with the help of Braille caps attached to pastels. Eyecan was conceptualised two years ago when Swasti, who himself paints, came up with a basic water-painting strip with Braille identifiers.

He first tested this tool on Jawahar Lal Kaul, president of Braille Union of India, who is also visually impaired.

“It was very difficult for him to hold the brush with the strips. My first attempt was not fruitful. My next step was to simplify my tool,” said Swasti.

The starting point of Swasti working towards this tool was the realisation that schools for the blind in India do not have any subject called “art”.

“I was ready to test it again, and this time I went to the Institution for the Blind. But the students said the Braille over the pastels was not readable enough.”

And then, recalled Swasti, the principal of the institute, S.P. Singh, suggested that he use a special German Braille printing machine called Tiger Braille, which embosses rubber on thick sheets of paper.

“He said I should get it printed from the Helen Keller Institute for the Deaf and Blind, Mumbai. Here I received a positive response.”

Next, Swasti’s friend from Japan, Miran Rin, introduced him to the Chiba School of Blind, Tokyo. He was called to present a small workshop on his tool and learn about the Japanese colouring device for the blind called Mitsuro Pen, an expensive electronic device..

“I realised that people back home would not be able to afford these pens. But Japan was of great help to me. Eyecan was now part of weekend art classes at blind schools in Delhi,” said Swasti.

He hosted a successful art show of the artworks by the blind artists using the Eyecan pastels.

“On the second day of our exhibition, a woman with her 20-year-old visually impaired daughter came to me asking if her daughter could paint as well. I was glad I could say a loud yes to that. Many parents watched as their visually challenged kids drew with the instrument. Their smiles have been the biggest reward,” said the 28-year-old, who is an alumnus of BK College of Art and Crafts, Bhubaneswar.

Swasti plans to bring the tool to visually impaired art aspirants in Odisha.

“This is a small step, but I will try to reach as many blind artists as possible,” he promised.