University of Nottingham (UNM) assistant professor Ts Dr Bavani Ramayah was awarded the Inspiring Global Tamil Woman accolade on 7 March 2021 by RJ Vijayalakshmi of the British Indian Tamil Radio (BITRFM) in association with France Vaureal Tamil Cultural Association, in conjunction with International Women’s Day 2021.
A total of 19 winners from a pool of 206 nominations from across the world were announced on 7 March 2021 by the British Indian Tamil Radio for their social contribution to society. Ts Dr Bavani, also the director of teaching and learning representing the Science Foundation at UNM, was selected for her research contribution towards the visually impaired community in Malaysia.
A conference she attended in 2008 served as the inspiration for Ts Dr Bavani to embark on a research and work on issues related to the visually impaired in collaboration with the Malaysian Blind Association.
Her initial research contributed mainly towards the better understanding of visually impaired users’ mental model, navigation behaviour as well as web accessibility issues in complex or modular layouts.
Ts Dr Bavani is currently working on research related to accessibility challenges faced by individuals with visual impairment on Polling Day and possible solutions to overcome these barriers. This study was carried out based on experiences shared by voters with visual impairment during the General Elections in Malaysia in 2018.
The research will suggest an accessible voting environment that could protect the rights of persons with visual impairment.
“I believe my research can create awareness and be the voice for people with special needs. Receiving this award for my social contribution through my research is a great honour for me,” Ts Dr Bavani said.
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For media enquiries please contact: Josephine Dionisappu, PR and Communications Manager University of Nottingham Malaysia at josephine.dionisappu@nottingham.edu.my
Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham is a research-intensive university with a proud heritage, consistently ranked among the world's top 100. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our 44,000 students - Nottingham was named both Sports and International University of the Year in the 2019 Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide, was awarded gold in the TEF 2017 and features in the top 20 of all three major UK rankings. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement. We are ranked eighth for research power in the UK according to REF 2014. We have six beacons of research excellence helping to transform lives and change the world; we are also a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally.
Posted on 6th May 2021