IIT-B Project For the Visually-Challenged

Mumbai: The Indian Institute of Management – Bombay (IIT-B) has undertaken a project for the visually-challenged. The project would enable visually-challenged students take lessons in information technology (IT) or computer programming in regional languages.

As per sources, the project is being funded by the Ministry of Human Resource Development’s National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology, the project involves creating verbal tutorials for computer-based activities. Also, it aims to take IT knowledge to remote parts of the country. Besides, the tutorials will involve explaining any computer-based activity with a live demonstration. The spoken part can be dubbed in any Indian language.

Kannan Moudgalya, IIT Bombay professor and project coordinator, said that the tutorial captures the changes in the screen in the form of a movie, along with a running commentary by an expert. He said that the spoken tutorial can be used to explain the steps involved in carrying out an activity, such as using some software. In addition, IIM-B is also exploring ways of collaborating with Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) to reach out to the visually-challenged across India.