THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government has decided to introduce a comprehensive package for the functioning of blind schools - government and aided - in the state.

The Cabinet meeting on Wednesday took the decision to bring in a package for fixing norms for such schools.  

The package will deal with all aspects related to the functioning of blind schools in the state including setting standards, finalising its norms, ensuring infrastructure facilities, staff pattern and appointments. However,  there is no time set for implementing the package. 

The theme of National Science Day this year is Science for the Specially-Abled. A look at how science and technology has risen to the challenge of empowering and enabling people with disabilities

NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 10:  

In a first, the Ministry of Science and Technology has come up with a comprehensive Braille atlas for nearly 50 lakh visually challenged people in the country, especially students.

The atlas has 20 maps on different themes like physical, socio-economic, river system, crops pattern, natural vegetation, cultural, metropolitan areas, roads and railways, and crops.

eSpeak text-to-speech (TTS) software is one that works well for the visually challenged speaking many Indian languages, including Malayalam. Those who now largely prefer it to its other variants for Malayalam speeches feel that the State government should intervene to improve this light-weight and open source system that functions on Linux, Windows, and Android platforms.

The task of printing ballot papers for the visually handicapped in the assembly elections has been entrusted on the National Institute of Visually Handicapped (NIVH).  The election commission uses specially designed Braille ballots for the visually impaired. These special types of the ballots have the names of the candidates and their symbols in Braille script. The visually impaired having knowledge of Braille can read the candidate’s name and symbol by the feel of their hands on these ballot papers.

Audex (Audible Access)!
This app is available on playstore now, and I hope that it will be very useful for everyone and everybody will like it too! (Especially People who are frustrated/annoyed/fed up with the talkback’s irritating earcons!).
It's the time to turn talkback earcons off forever and time to turn on Audex!
So, this app will start fulfilling your wish of nice earcons/event sounds from today.
(Every suggestions and feedbacks are heartily welcomed)!
Below is the Playstore URL and whole description of the app.
So, here you go!:

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 23

A guest lecture was conducted by Prof M Balakrishna from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT- Delhi, at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University in Katra today.

He talked about assistive technology for the differently abled and the problems being faced by the visually impaired in their daily life.

The CSR Committee of The Utkal Chamber of Commerce conducted an art and song competition for the visually impaired, hearing and vocally impaired children (deaf, dumb and blind). About 63 students participated from different schools.

They were from Bipin Bihari School of Deaf and Dumb, Rajdhani School of Deaf and Dumb, Lewis Blind School, Sri Sri Beleswar High School, Sriharsha Mishra School, Bhima Bhoi School for Blind and Nursery School.

Both the competitions were conducted in three categories, sub-junior, junior and senior. Cash prizes were

This facility was inaugurated by Prof Devang Khakhar, Director of IIT Bombay