Ranchi, Dec. 13: As technology transforms our lifestyle, there is a group of people who are unable to see any change around them.

In a bid to bring technology to the visually-challenged, the government has come up with a project that would enable the visually-challenged to learn computers and encourage them to be qualified as others.

Under this scheme, a Braille software, which enables visually-challenged students to learn and use computers with ease, has been installed in six terminals at St Michael’s School for the Blind.

The software has been developed by Webel Mediatronics Limited, Calcutta, in association with Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur and ISI, Calcutta. The ministry of information technology has sponsored the project.

“The programme, launched by government of India, is an information technology-based project to bring about general computer literacy in Indian languages by using Braille,” said A. Sengupta, project co-ordinator of Webel Mediatronics Limited, Calcutta.

The total investment for the project is Rs 10 crore, he added.

The special feature of the project is that it will enable and encourage visually-challenged persons to work in an office environment with others. Besides the hardware that is generally needed, this project provides special devices like “Braille mask”, “Braille printer” and “tactile device”. This specialised equipment is provided exclusively by the Calcutta-based company and is not available in the market.

“A Braille mask is an attachment for the keyboard, which hides all the keys on the it except 17 keys to be used by visually-challenged students. This enables the children to type using the Braille system, which needs only 17 keys. They are being trained to use this device, which will be provided to offices where they are employed,” said Vipin Kumar, computer teacher at St Michael’s School for the Blind.

Another useful device, which has been developed keeping in mind the problems that a visually-challenged person would face while working on a computer, is the tactile device. This item has a group of pins set in the pattern of a Braille system.

A visually-challenged person working on a computer can read the alphabets being displayed on the monitor the moment he places his fingers on the machine.

Braille printers and audio sensors too have been installed on the machines, which translate normal text into Braille and vice-versa.

Training is being imparted to all students of the institution who are well-versed in Braille.

“We want that the software and devices to reach the persons for whom they are meant and not be used for commercial purposes and priced high. This is the reason such equipment is available only with companies, which have been enlisted for the government’s project,” said Sengupta.

There are 25 training centres and five resource centres all over the country.