BHUBANESWAR: The Social Security and Empowerment of Persons With Disabilities department (SSEPD) on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indian Institute of Technology-Bhubaneswar (IIT-BBS) to offer technology-aided inclusive education to visually impaired students in the state.
IIT-Bhubaneswar’s Sponsored Research and Industrial Consultancy (SRIC) will provide comprehensive technological solutions for quality education of visually impaired students. Such students in high schools and higher secondary schools will be exposed to modern courses like coding, micro bit, 3D painting, animation, machine learning, artificial intelligence and robotics.
The SRIC will not just provide tablets and smartphones loaded with screen reading softwares but also facilitate online classes, audio books on the subjects, soft skill training and digital access to libraries. Students of high schools and higher secondary schools will be provided Kibo devices which can help visually impaired students to listen, translate, digitise and audiotise printed, handwritten and scanned digital documents across many languages.
“This will be a helpful device for blind students who are mostly reliant on Braille and audiobooks,” said SSEPD Minister Ashok Panda.
He further said improvements in assistive technology, particularly with regard to computers, tablets and smartphones, have made it possible for individuals with visual impairment to read and write in standard scripts on par with sighted individuals.
Secretary of the department Bishnupada Sethi said there will be regular monitoring of the activities implemented through the MoU. IIT-Bhubaneswar will provide technical guidance and support for identification of right assistive devices as per the identified needs of the visually impaired students.
Director of SSEPD department Niyati Patnaik and dean of SRIC Dinakar Pasla were signatories in the MoU.