Projects

A smartphone-based assistive technology for visually impaired children in India

Students with visual impairments are more likely to be excluded or ignored from mainstream schooling, especially in low and middle-income countries. The literacy rate among children with disabilities is inferior compared to their able-bodied peers in developing nations. The World Bank estimates that children with any disability are five times more likely to be ignored from education than children without disability. Studies and reports are available that smartphones are used successfully for educational purposes by students with visual disabilities in India, where screen readers like TalkBack are most frequently used. But such softwares will not be enough to fully support visually impaired children in their education. With this project, we aim to come up with a smartphone-based technology for visually impaired (partially/completely) students to assist them in academic activities and thereby open doors to all education, employment, and business opportunities for them.