New Delhi: To help India's blind become financially independent, a vocational training course in therapeutic massage will soon be launched in several cities including Delhi, officials said.

The first two institutes will be set up in Ahmedabad and Dehradun by January 2014 followed by Delhi.

The massage, developed in Japan over several centuries, helps cure stiffness, joint pains and poor blood circulation, among others.

In the joint effort between the National Association for the Blind (NAB), National Institute for Visually Handicapped (NIVH) and Tokyo-based Special Needs School, the students would receive special training from Japanese trainers on how to become successful healers.

A live workshop was held at the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, where visually impaired Japanese trainers gave instructions to a group of blind Delhiites aspiring to learn the therapy.

"Looking at the benefits and development of these new therapies, we look forward to partnering with these institutes and setting up a similar training centre for the visually handicapped at our hospital in New Delhi," H.P.S. Ahluwalia, chairman of the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, told IANS.

Head trainer Saburo Sasada said that over 20,000 blind people in Japan are earning their livelihood by learning therapeutic massage.

"Many Asian countries like Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Indonesia have adopted this training to help their visually impaired population," he said.

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