‘Talking laptop’ lights up their lives

Sandeep John (24), a Bengaluru-based M.Com student, need not any longer depend on someone else as he prepares for exams.

A ‘talking laptop,’ given to him under a scheme for the visually-challenged students by Karnataka government, has become a boon to him. The laptop is fitted with a special software and an audio keyboard that helps the user hear whatever is typed.

John can access and browse various things on the laptop ranging from newspapers to reference books. Any visually impaired person who has passed Class X is eligible for a laptop under the scheme.

“The laptop helps me feel independent. I transfer all my notes in the form of a soft copy and the laptop reads the information aloud,” he said. He also hoped that the government scales up the project so that it would be useful to more visually-impaired candidates.

Malappa H.M., a second year B.A. journalism student from Bengaluru, feels that the laptops are a great help. However, he says that the government training of one week may not be sufficient for those who are not computer-savvy. The laptop is fitted with JOSS and a non-visual desktop access software which also has a recording provision. The project was one of the promises in the budget and has been distributed to about 850 people across the State.

The State government on a pilot basis had distributed it to 100 people and later provided another additional 750 laptops. Around Rs. 4 crore was allocated for this project.

The Department for the Empowerment of Differently-Abled and Senior Citizens has decided to give training to the users.