Hi all
I joined the RBI in 81 as a telephone operator when I was in the middle of
HSC which is equivalent to 12th std. Telephonist was sort of the only job
available to the educated blind then. It was a fun job, but I was feeling
intelectually choked as it was a very mechanical type of work.
I looked for some alternatives and I fancied for the IAS and I learnt in the
west, the blind were also into programming. This fired my imagination and
started digging info on it. I got convincedI could make it.
The next task was to get myself trained in programming. None of the
institutes would admit me. Even those who were then technologically savy
pronounced it was impossible for a blind to do programming.
To make a long story short, I got admission to one institute the owner of it
was my father's friend.
I started with COBOL language.I had no access technology at all. I would
write my programme in Braille, read it out to the computer operator, who
would key it in and tell me the output. It was a very frustrating way to
work on as I got into major miscommunication problems.
Despite it all, I topped the class.
The trend that time was to learn the major languages one after another. I
however, took a different path. I gave myself a break and practised the
language very intensively and only thereafter moved to the other language. I
gained immensely by this approach.
Computer time during those days was very precious and scarce, some gentle
souls, did give it to me. I later came across a person, who owned a Apple
system which had built in speech synthesizer. I was very thrilled to hear
it. However I learnt later, it could only be used in games and no screen
reader in it. These were all all 8 bit processors and few other systems too
came in the market with like capabilities. I had my hands on most of them as
and when they hit the market.
I came across a person in Canada who was willing to sell a second hand
terminal. Those days even that costed a fortune and there was lots of
restriction importing anything. I did not buy it although I felt very bitter
missing on it.
Years later, at Blind Graduates forrum of India we bought the Mimmic speech
synthesizer with HAL screen reader. I had access to it. This was the biggest
moment and turning point in my life.It was the first time, I could work on
the computer absolutely independently. I had the synthesizer but no
computer. At National center for software technology NCST an Premier
institution offered unlimited access to their systems. My father would bring
the synthesizer to the railway station in the evening after my job,
Thereafter we would head to NCST and I would spend some hours there. Most of
the sundays I would spend there.
After being sufficiently proficient with it, I bought my own system. It was
a 16 bit PC with 512 KB RAM running at 10 mhz with 2 5 1/4 floppy drives of
360 KB each. No hard disk at all. Years later I bought a 20 MB hard disk. I
kept this system going until 96 when I got transfered to Bangalore.
Honestly, this system was very fast compared to the resources we drive now.
I came across very interesting gears. When we started computer classes at
BGFI, we were gifted with an Apple system No access technology of course, It
had a built in Basic interpretor it was connected to the Black and White TV
as a monitor.
I had got a very novel screen reader which did not drive a speech
synthesizer. Its output was in Morse code using PC's speaker. The lowest
speed it could go to was 10 WPM. This too was fast for me. A friend of mine
brought the speed down to 5 WPM using reverse engineering and working on a
binary file.
My college friend gave me a lap top, it turned out it had only
wordprocessing capability and no possibility to run a screen reader. I
returned it to her not finding use for it.
Arround early 90's I learnt somebody had developed a speech synthesizer at
Bangalore, primarily for defense use. When I tested it, I found It to be
unsuitable for screen reader. Later, I got yet another information someone
else had developed a speech synthesizer. I somehow felt this is the right
place and I took a train for Bangalore. I went to Advanced electronics I was
greeted by Kashinathan he showed me the synthesizer. It was a built arround
Mimic synthesizer and was available for a fraction of its cost. He took me
to the designer of it from IISE. Unfortunately, I can't remember his name
now. He was a very dedicated soul and had designed many gadgets for us.
During that period, many blind persons bought this synthesizer and I made
available the DOS Hal screen reader, of which I got regular updates, as I
had the licensed version.
Some time later, an important IC used in the synthesizer went off
production. He again designed another synthesizer for which I sourced its
supplier from Bombay. This IC too met with a similar fate.
My fingers are really hurting now and I shall continue it another day if the
story seems interesting enough.
Warmly
Harish.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Pamnani" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2007 5:34 PM
Subject: Re: [AI] history of computer education for blind in india
Come on Harish its time you told the whole story with all the difficulties
and the technology used.
Kanchan Pamnani
Advocate & Solicitor
9, Suleman Chambers,
Battery Street, Colaba,
Mumbai - 400 039.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Suhas Karnik" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2007 1:16 PM
Subject: Re: [AI] history of computer education for blind in india
mahendra,nafisa and harish will join me in saying that probably blind
graduates forum of india is the pioneering organisation in initiating
computer trainig for the blindin india.way back in 1987 the BGFI weekend
training sessions in Smt Kamala mehta school for blind girls at dadar mumbai
nafisa and harish were associated with those training programme.dorabji
tata trust donated a speech synthesizer which was from england named hal .
thereafter harish joined main streamed computer training institution .later
in year 1990 with the initiative of ratnakar raje the indian guild for
handicapped in colabaration with national society for equal opportunity to
the handicapped started dos based computer training programme in mumbai
where harish was one of the faculty members.me and nafisa were the students
of first batch . the intresting thing about this training programme was the
students were given a decent stypend to cover the conyenance charges.
Amities
Suhas v karnik.> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> To:
[email protected]> Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2007 12:31:42 +0530>
Subject: Re: [AI] history of computer education for blind in india> >
Hello,> > I think, Computer was used by the vlind people in the early
nineties in> India. As far as I heard, K. Ramkrishna was one of the early
users. Harish> kotian also used the DOS-based tiny talk in the nineties. As
regards> Kolkata, NAB started here a small venture in 1992 or 1993. But it
did not> continue for long and I never found anybody using a pc until 2000
in> Kolkata. In fact, computer was too costly in the nineties for personal
use.> > NAB again started computer education here in the year 2000 and I was
a> student of that year. Mohammed Asif Iqbal, a fellow member on our list,
was> our teacher at NAB. I hope, Harish and Ramkrishna will be able to tell
more> about the beginning of computer education in India.> > Best regards,>
> Amiyo.> > Cell: +91-9433464329> > ----- Original Message -----> From:
"sriram kalyanaraman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>> To:
<[email protected]>> Sent: Monday, December 17, 2007 11:37 AM>
Subject: Re: [AI] history of computer education for blind in india> > > >
Samarthanam , Matruchaya and NAB started computer education in Bangalore.>
You could write to them for more details. In Chennai, NIVH and Ability>
foundation have computer traning centers. You should not only discuss about>
English computer education but also regional language education. IITM and>
some other institituions developed this software. Vidya Vriksha taught this>
to interested students (as far as IITM software.)> > Central Univesrity
Hyderabad has a center along with CEFOL.> >> > Best wishes,> > K. Sriram> >>
> Subramani L <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:> > It's a pitty that
no
one got write a book on the subject. Besides> > academic interest, this
would serve as an authentic record for the work> > done in India.> >> >
Subramani> >> > -----Original Message-----> > From:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Vetrivel> >
Adhimoolam> > Sent: Saturday, December 15, 2007 8:20 PM> > To:
[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [AI] history of computer
education for blind in india> >> > I think that's correct. Also I have to
say that NAB Delhi played a> > crucial> > role in identifying and
prioritizing appropriate screen reading> > softwares> > for visually
challenged in India. Say for example the hole transition> > from> > MS das
to Windows based screen readers like JAWS. So computer education> > for> >
visually challenged should also be analyzed in the context of the> >
evolution> > of the screen readers themselves.> >> > ----- Original
Message -----> > From: Dinesh Kaushal> > To: 'K Ramkrishna' ;
[email protected]> > Sent: Saturday, December 15, 2007 7:45 AM>
> Subject: Re: [AI] history of computer education for blind in india> >> >>
> Well I took training in NAB delhi in May 1996, and I think NAB delhi> >
started> > it in 1995 or 1994, I am sure it started in or before 1995> >> >>
> Regards> > Dinesh Kaushal> >> > blog at> > dineshkaushal.blogspot.com> >>
> -----Original Message-----> > From:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of K> >
Ramkrishna> > Sent: Saturday, December 15, 2007 10:14 AM> > To:
[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [AI] history of computer
education for blind in india> >> > Dear Vimal,> >> > I may not be able to
tell you the entire story of computer education for> > the> > blind in
India. But, I would like to mention that the Indian Association> > for> >
the Visually Handicap (IAVH) in Mumbai, started the first such venture> >
in> > our country in November 1997. The project was funded by IDBI and HDFC>
> bank> > and the center was established at the university clubhouse in
Churchgate> > Mumbai. Mr. Ram Agarwal of Karishma Enterprises, Mr. Prakash
Didwania,> > Mr.> > Arwind Bhartia and myself were the founder trusties of
IAVH and our> > mission> > was to avail the access and other technology
products and services to> > the> > blind and these shouldn't be denied to
them, just because they couldn't> > afford such expensive things.
Subsequently, Victoria Memorial school for> > the> > blind with the support
of IBM and Voice Vision of Mumbai started> > computer> > education for the
blind. NAB New Delhi also has such facilities. IAVH> > also> > started this
in Huydrabad, but this couldn't be run for long. Rest,> > other> > members
can respond.> > ----- Original Message -----> > From: "vimaldengla"> > To:>
> Sent: Friday, December 14, 2007 3:44 PM> > Subject: [AI] history of
computer education for blind in india> >> >> > > dear friends,> > > please
tell me the details about the computer education for the blind,> > > when
was it started and who played the main role in starting the> > > computer
education in India. please send me the complete history of> > > the computer
education of the blind in India.> > > you can send the reply to my personal
id [EMAIL PROTECTED],> > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] from vimal dengla mob.
09414244549.> > > To unsubscribe send a message to> > >
[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > with the subject unsubscribe.> >
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