On 26 September 2011 11:55, Vickram Crishna <[email protected]> wrote:
> If audio cassettes were distributed, has there been any attempt to source > DAISY compatible digifiles, or to create relevant source material using > DAISY? Are the Trustees of Bangalore University aware that the GoI has > signed a global commitment to ensuring digital access for persons with > disabilities > There are actually some very sound (pun not intended) reasons for using audio cassettes and not digifiles. For instance, you can switch your tape between a cassette player at school or work, on the move and at home without losing your place in the text. I am sure DAISY compatible digifiles can be bookmarked, but I think it needs some fairly specialized hardware and/or software. Cassette players are still very cheap and plentiful. Sajan > (by 2012, as I understand it, so as good as already in the dustbin), and > that this is not Somebody Else's Problem, it is a problem for all of us to > work to solve together? Simply showing up at IGF will not sort out issues > such as this (OT - and maybe nothing else either). > > Just fyi, contributors to WIkipedia have developed apps for visually > impaired persons to access (read and edit, and this is not trivial) in > Malayalam. Work is on to extend this to other languages - in fact, it may > already have been done for some other languages. Of course, browser access > is not the same as screen reading, and I am reasonably well aware of the > differences, but it is a big deal. > > On Mon, Sep 26, 2011 at 9:54 AM, Krittika <[email protected]>wrote: > >> ** >> >> http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/article2483818.ece >> >> Bangalore University reached out to 150 visually impaired students from 25 >> of its affiliated colleges on Saturday by way of distributing free Braille >> textbooks and audio cassettes to them. The beneficiaries appreciated the >> move because all these years they had to depend on volunteers who would read >> out the textbooks for them. Some of them would travel long distances to take >> the help of non-governmental organisations which would format the reading >> material using Braille for them. >> >> Besides distributing Braille textbooks, Vice-Chancellor N. Prabhu Dev >> announced steps they would initiate to encourage more number of visually >> impaired students to pursue their studies in the university. >> >> *The university will start a computer training and resource centre in >> December. Under the project, computer training will be imparted free of cost >> to the visually impaired students. JAWS Screen Reading software will be used >> for the purpose. Once trained, students will be able to work on the Internet >> and also use MS Office. * >> >> The other initiatives include establishing a help desk for the visually >> impaired besides starting an electronic reading centre equipped with >> text-reading machines, screen magnification software and video magnifying >> units, and a Braille book production centre. . >> >> “In the next phase, we will have a career counselling and job placement >> unit as well as distance education centre for the visually impaired,” >> according to Bangalore University Vice-Chancellor N. Prabhu Dev. >> >> Mr. Prabhu Dev said that the soft copy of the Braille books were made >> (mostly) by the Canara Bank Relief and Welfare Society (each page of the >> master copy costs Rs. 25), while the hard copies were processed by the All >> India Confederation of the Blind, New Delhi. >> >> Each textbook has been printed in two or three volumes. Bangalore >> University funded the entire project. Students like Shilpa. S was both >> delighted and relieved. Ms. Shilpa, a second-year B.Com student who scored >> 74 per cent in her second semester, said Braille meant independence. “In my >> first semester, I was in tears as I got my study material a week before my >> exams. Thanks to my lecturer (Prasanna Udipikar, who is also the convenor of >> Bangalore University's Braille Resource Centre), who recorded the material, >> I managed to pass. ” >> >> Susheel Kumar, who is pursuing MA in Sociology, reiterated Ms. Shilpa's >> views. “Life is much easier for us now as we will find the Braille books in >> our library,” he said. >> >> -- >> >> -- >> >> *Krittika Vishwanath* >> Research Associate >> IT for Change >> In special consultative status with the United Nations ECOSOC >> www.ITforChange.net >> Skype id: krittika85 >> Tel:+91-80-2665 4134, 2653 6890. Fax:+91-80-4146 1055 >> Mobile: +91 9535321980 >> >> Read our Teacher's Communities of Learning project's blogs, lesson >> plans and discussions here: http://bangalore.karnatakaeducation.org.in/ >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> network mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://lists.fosscom.in/listinfo.cgi/network-fosscom.in >> >> > > > -- > Vickram > Fool On The Hill <http://communicall.wordpress.com> > > > _______________________________________________ > network mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.fosscom.in/listinfo.cgi/network-fosscom.in > >
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