July 30, 2019
Braille Research Centre in Bangalore University is all set to go
digital by introducing audio recordings of all their books including
professional training books. Now more visually impaired people can access the
centre and avail facilities that are offered there.
For people with disabilities, digitalisation has made many things available
at their fingertips. Take the Braille Research Centre (BRC)
at Bangalore University, which is all set to go digital.
Reportedly, the BRC will not have any more books in Braille as they are
gearing up to introduce computer-based audio classes.
The aim is to enable more visually impaired people to access higher
education. But the announcement has met with mixed responses.
The BRC has a plethora of books. This facility is the only library in
Bengaluru that so many books in Braille all under one roof. By introducing
audio modules, the goal is to make learning faster and easier.
Maitreya Shah, a visually impaired law student in Ahmedabad, hopes
more universities will follow suit.
This is a great initiative. I really think this will help because
it is high time we move on from conventional Braille system to more
enhanced technology enabled facilities and solutions. I feel this has to be
done by every institution in the country. – Maitreya Shah, Law
student
The faculty will read out all the books and record them simultaneously. These
recordings will be provided free of cost and this will be made
available even to those who are not students at the university. The
recordings can be taken home on pen drive as well.
Currently, the faculty have produced audio classes for courses in B.A. second
year in the subjects of History and English. More are planned. The BRC is
tying up with teachers and other experts to begin the audio facilities soon.
With such technological advancements in place, education is going to become
more accessible to visually impaired people. But there are concerns that such
steps will undermine the relevance of Braille as a language.
Madhu Singhal, Founder, NGO Mitra Jyoti,
that works with visually impaired people in Bengaluru, says that keeping
aside Braille is going to affect this a remarkable mode of communication.
Madhu, who is visually impaired, runs a library with Braille books. She
believes each person must have the right to choose what they want and audio
recordings should not be forced on anyone.
“Every person has the right to choose how they want to learn new things. I
know a lot of visually impaired people who still prefer Braille over audio
recordings”. Madhu also believes that Braille will never lose its relevance.
“It has always been here and will remain to be here because until a few
decades back, Braille was the only means of communication for people from the
visually impaired community”.
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