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1. Women Empowerment through Shruti-Drishti
Department of Information Technology (DIT), Ministry of Communication & IT, Govt. of India is implementing project “Women Empowerment through Shruti-Drishti” through Media Lab Asia (a section 25 company promoted by DIT), C-DAC (a scientific society of DIT) and WML (a govt. of West Bengal undertaking). Under the project, the noble activity of deploying Shruti-Drishti (Text-to-Speech & Text-to-Braille) system integrated with Braille Embosser, Tactile Reader & Braille keyboard in 40 Girls/Co-Ed Blind Schools across the country has been undertaken. The system enables visually impaired to browse internet using minimum key combinations and is able to cater the need of content for print disabled children in schools. A three days training on operation of the system is also provided to special teachers/computer instructors of the schools.
“Shruti Drishti“ is an Integrated Text-to-Speech [TTS] & Text-to-Braille [TTB] System for the for Visually Impaired” using the Information Extraction and Retrieval techniques. Shruti Drishti is a web page browser developed for visually impaired users is considered to provide user-friendly environment, sharing and strengthening of global knowledge by removing barriers and providing equitable access to information for all by the use of Assistive Technologies.
Shruti Drishti has an option of presenting the displayed information in a verbal mode using a speech synthesizer or in the Braille format. The verbal mode of information representation provides descriptive information on all events of a web page, including links, buttons, check box, text etc. It is keyboard event driven and provides ‘keyboard only’ accessibility using a minimal set of keys. It also provides a large text window for partially sighted users and a standard web page browser to enable users to work together with sighted workers. Shruti Drishti is a combination of Text to Speech [TTS] & Text to Braille [TTB] application - to provide high-value integrated Web Browsing through listening anytime, anyplace.
The system has also received Golden Icon Award in the ‘Trail Blazing application of the year New Entrant Category’ at the 8th National Conference on eGovernance [2004] from the Department of Administrators Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Govt. of India & the Government of Orissa.
Features of the packages:
The main features of the software are: -
- This software is least expensive which provides advantage over the commercially available systems.
- Browse and access a document from a Conference Web-site through listening or reading with the help of Tactile Reader.
- User can browse the web sites with the help of single key input /minimum Key combinations and provide very user friendly interface keeping in view for visually impaired.
- Extracts the contents from the normal web page as well as the word documents.
- Facility Bookmark any page or website
- Facility to increase & decrease the Volume and speed with single key
- User can save the documents and convert the same into Braille.
- Allows taking Braille print through standard Braille Embosser.
The system has already been deployed in 10 Schools across the country.
1.Smt. Kamla Mehata Dadar School for the Blind,
160, Dadasaheb Phalke Road, Dadar,
Mumbai- 400014, Maharashtra
2.Department of Educational Technology (Sr. Lecturer)
SNDT Women's University,
Juhu Road, Santacruz (W),
Mumbai 400 049
3. The Poona School & Home for the Blind Girls,
Kothrud, Pune, Mahashtra- 411001
4. Rashtriya Vrijananda Andh Kanya Senior Secondary School
J- Block, Vikas Puri,
New Delhi – 110018
5. Sparsh Rajkiya Drishti Badhit Balika Vidyalya
Jain Degree College Road, Illahipura(Dera)
Saharanpur – 247 001, Uttar Pradesh
6. Shri Vrajlal Durlabhji Parekh Andh Mahila Vikash Grah
Dhebarbhai Road,
Rajkot- 360002
Gujarat
7. Govt Higher Secendory Girls School for the blind,
Block C 137-140, Malakpet Colony,
Behind Nehru Memorial School,
Hyderabad- 500036
8. Brajkishore Netraheen Balika Vidyalaya,
C/o Hitesh Industries Housing colony,
60 Booty Road, Bariatu, Ranchi,
Jharkhand- 834009
9. Sri Adichunchanagiri Shikshana Trust (R)Archakarahalli, B.M. RoadRamanagaram, Bangalore R. D.Karnataka- 571511
10. Institute for the Visually Handicapped (Girls)
BadharghatP.O.
A.D. Nagar- 799 003
Agartala, Tripura
The feedback from the schools is found to be positive.
2. Visual Language
• Multimedia communication tool for the cerebral palsy affected.
• The initial goal is to design an interlingua (a language independent representation of meaning) for limited domain communication.
• This research has been applied to develop a communication tool that provides the disabled with an ability to communicate.
4. Shruti: (Vernacular Speech Interface for People with visual Impairment)
-Feature Extraction
-Pattern Learning
-Language Modeling
In phase-II, emphasis is on developing a data corpus by collecting data in different environments.
5. Screen Reading Software - SAFA (Screen Access for All)
This technology has provided innumerous opportunities to the visually impaired persons including the jobs as programmers, call centers, venturing in to new fields such as science & math, and others.
Although screen-reading technology has provided such a power to the visually impaired persons, it has hardly reached to the broader population in India & has remained limited to a small fortunate English-speaking minority.
The major issue with this category of assistive technology is that most products are extremely expensive and are beyond the reach of visually impaired persons at least in developing countries.
Media Lab Asia & NAB Delhi have jointly developed the screen reading software named SAFA. This is an open source software & supports many Indian languages. It is being provided free of charge by NAB Delhi. The users have the option of purchasing additional Text To Speech (TTS) softwares for better synthetic voice output from SAFA.
SAFA can detect the text language on the fly and calls the relevant TTS for speaking it. So now one can have a multilingual document and read it with SAFA at one go without having to change or install TTS again & again. The latest version of SAFA is supporting the following TTS in different Indian languages -
- eSpeak – English, Hindi, Tamil
- Shruti – Hindi, Bangla
- VAACHAK – English, Hindi, Marathi
- Ashrir – Bangla, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu
To add to this list, the developers have made it very easy to add any new language in SAFA whether Indian or foreign. As & when SAPI 5 compliant TTS becomes available for any new language such as Sinhala, all that will be required to do is some changes in the SAFA configuration file and after that SAFA will start supporting that language with speech. This kind of configuration can be done by the user itself. SAFA is being developed & refined continuously as per the features wish list & feedback received from users.
After the official launch of SAFA (Screen Access for All) on 12th March 2008 at India International Center, the Query about this software has suddenly increased on Helpline. We are receiving around 25 calls weekly about this software which contains
- Information about SAFA
- Compatibility of SAFA with third Party software
- Trouble shooting of SAFA
- Help for learning SAFA like short term training programmes
All these show that the user’s base of SAFA is increasing day by day. Apart from this the Name of SAFA is also available in Wikipedia page. The address of Wiki page is -
http://en.wikipedia.org:80/wiki/List_of_screen_readers
Feedback
The user comments for SAFA are extremely encouraging. Many users who are using SAFA in there Office for daily work like Hindi typing and other routine work, they are saying that this software has given them new life and motivation of working in office environment where they can enjoy work and as well as the company of there office co-workers. The school and college going students are also happy as now they can type Hindi assignments and papers as per there knowledge and they don’t need to depend on other for complete these important work.
The comparison between SAFA and Jaws for Hindi can be understood from table given below
| Screen Access for All |
Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Jaws for Hindi |
|
| Keyboard Layout |
While using SAFA user can type in three different keyboard layouts like inscripts phonetic and godrej typewriter. And beauty of these layout that these has been added in system level so user can use these keyboard layout in any application | In jaws for hindi, user can use only inscript keyboard layout. Jaws does not support other typing styles. |
| TTS |
The major feature of SAFA is that user can use different TTS for different language. |
In jaws user has to work only in one TTS |
| Auto detection of Language |
SAFA can identify the different language automatically and call the relative TTS to pronounce the word other vice it will announce “unsupported Character” |
In jaws user don’t have any option to identification of different language |
| Pronunciation of Joint characters and wobbles |
Safa has no issue in this regard |
Jaws is not able to read those words properly which are having joint characters and some special wobbles. |
| Cost |
This software is available at free of cost from NAB website. |
This software is available in demo from Freedom scientific website. To obtain a jaws which support hindi, one has to purchase this software from dealer |
| Adding new TTS language |
It is very easy to add additional languages and TTS in SAFA |
You may not be able to add new language which are not supported by jaws |
According to this comparison one can automatically identify the importance of SAFA in user point of view
6. Digital Library of e-Text and Audio Content
A talking book is an audio cassette recording of the printed world. Media Lab Asia in collaboration with NAB, Delhi produces hundreds of talking books every year covering a range of topics from school and university textbooks to classics, fiction, poetry and short stories. Persons above 5 years of age can avail the library services by depositing a refundable security deposit of Rs. 100/- for 5 audio cassettes.NAB-Delhi is now become a resource centre for the implementation of DAISY Digital Talking Book Production and dissemination in India. All new books recorded at our Talking Book Library from November 2002 are recorded in digital format and are now available both on CD and in audio cassettes.To download the latest catelogue click the following link:
English Books Available in Daisy Format.
English Books available in cassettes.
Hindi Books available in Daisy Format.
Hindi books available in Cassettes.
Books available in e-Text Format.
To borrow books you need to become a member of the Library. Click the link below to download the membership form.
Current Affair Magazine Subscription Form
7. Smart Cane project
Media Lab Asia in collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology (Department of Computer Science and Engineering), New Delhi is developing a “Smart Cane” for persons with visual impairment. The project aims at developing 2 devices –
Device 1: Waist-above obstacle detection and warning system that can be attached to the white cane used by person with visual impairment.
Device 2: User Triggered Bus Identification System.
8. Braille Printing of Rabindra Rachanaboli.
Media Lab Asia in collaboration with Webel Mediatronics Limited (WML), Kolkatta, a Government of West Bengal undertaking has made available Rabindra Rachnaboli, a compilation of the work of Shri Rabindra Nath Tagore, in embossed form to all the government aided Blind Schools of West Bengal with support from Media Lab Asia. The entire Rabindra Rachnaboli has been transcribed in Braille Script.
9. A Comprehensive Satellite/Internet based National Network for Education, Training and Empowerment of persons with disabilities.
Media Lab Asia is working with Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) – (a statutory body under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment) for initiating interactive programs through Edusat for students, parents, trainee teachers and professionals associated with and engaged in different areas of disabilities like mental retardation, visual impairment, autism, cerebral palsy and multiple disabilities etc. The project also aims to set up a “Comprehensive Internet Portal - Punarbhava (punarbhava.in)” providing all the related information regarding different disabilities issues. This portal has been hosted by Media Lab Asia.
10. Supply, Installation and Commissioning of computerized Braille Transcription system at Blind Schools throughout the country.
Media Lab Asia along with Webel Mediatronics Limited (WML), Kolkatta, a Government of West Bengal undertaking is going to Supply, Install and Commission computerized Braille Transcription system at 130 Blind Schools throughout the country. The schools will be selected based upon the infrastructure of the school and number of systems that can be absorbed in the school. The system addresses the need of reading, writing, printing and learning Braille in a Blind School. The system supports text-to-Braille and Braille-to-text conversion in English and 12 major Indian languages.
11. Setting up ICT based Distance Learning Centre.
CDAC-Thiruvanthapuram is setting up a distance training facility using Edusat connectivity for special educators and other rehabilitation professionals with support from Media Lab Asia. It provides a scalable pilot infrastructure facility for imparting distance training for the trainers in the field of special education. Transmitting end has been set up at Special Education School-KVM trust, Cherathala, Kerala and SIT at 7 special Schools in Kerala
12. Bagher Chakri - Multimedia CDs for the persons with disabilities.
Media Lab Asia with Webel Mediatronics Limited (WML), Kolkatta, a Government of West Bengal undertaking is developing Multimedia CDs to support Activity based nursery rhymes book “Bagher Chakri” in Bengali for “Inclusive Education” and all round mental development of all types of children. Under this project 3000 copies of CDs will be distributed to all type of children in West Bengal and outside.
13. VAANI
