Vision Software

n a society so insistent on visual cues, sightlessness is widely regarded as a personal failure. Regardless of the existence of non-discriminatory legislation such as the Persons with Disability (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act 1995, which provides incentives to public and private employers to ensure that disabled persons constitute five per cent of the workforce, the odds continue to be heavily stacked against the visually impaired. Preconceived social biases that the sightless cannot engage in productive work, at least not at a level that would allow them to be economically self-sufficient have been hard to dispel. A study of the top ten corporate houses in India conducted by NCPEDP found that the average percentage of employees with disabilities is only 0.4 per cent. The public sector employed 0.54 per cent; the private sector employed 0.28 per cent; in multinational companies employment is as low as 0.05 per cent.

Helping the blind to combat these formidable misconceptions and lead more participative lives is the Karnataka National Association of the Blind. Formed in 1977, the organisation is the first of its kind in India to deploy technology to bridge the divide between the sighted and the sightless. With the support of Intel, NIIT and the Asha Foundation, a year ago, NAB made use of available popular and innovative screen reading software JAWS for Windows to start special computer classes for the blind. The software with its internal software speech synthesizer and the computer's sound card obviates the impediments of sightlessness by reading aloud each character the students key. The software also reads scanned data fed into the computer, thus breaking the despairing segregation of the sightless from information sources. The three-month course conducted at NAB campus educates students in the entire suite of Microsoft operations including the Internet. At the end of the three-month duration, students are tested on their skills and ability and provided certificates by the NIIT.

The course is the brainchild of founding member of the association Gordon Fife. This is not his first stint at creatively helping this fringe group. Earlier, the tech-savvy CEO walked into the office of the IISC and enthused scientists to develop a screen reading hardware and a low cost Braille machine. The technology however remained confined to the lab for lack of funding. This course has however been well received. As the new batch of students feel the computer keys and punch data, the excitement at being able to access a new world at the command of one's finger tip is palpable. Praia, a pupil in the current batch who has done her Master in Literature and is working as a telecom operator with the Canada Bank is excited, "It is extremely useful. What was not possible at all earlier is possible now. Earlier to write a simple letter, I was dependent. A person with normal intelligence can now compete with a sighted person. This is a gateway to independence." M B Jayanti, their instructor says: "My students are confident that they can work as normal persons." These are not lofty claims. The technology has been instrumental in easing the oppressive isolation that wears down the disabled. Former NAB alumnus are now working in reputed companies like IBM and Infosys.

Learning computers has raised expectations of a group confined to low-paying jobs like carpet weaving and basket making. Says Gordon Fife CEO of the association "After the course, the students can easily work as administrative help, front office assistants, medical transcriptionists and call center executives." Employment, however, remains a persistent problem and does not equal students' spirations. Gordon Fife admits. "There is a mental block when it comes to hiring the visually impaired." Added to this is the expense of the software. Each piece of software costs Rs 42,000 and companies are reluctant to invest this amount." Personal experiences of former students are proof of attitudinal barriers that confront the visually impaired. Sriram a corporate planner with Infosys recounts his personal experiences: "I have done my MBA from IIM Bangalore. I am a rank holder. I had to appear for 33 job interviews, Barring Infosys most companies showed me the door because I was blind."

The course is thus restricted to ten students per batch. According to Gordon Fife, "Training without employment lacks focus." Shortage of funds is an unceasing anxiety. The course is conducted in an eight by ten feet room with seven to eight machines donated by Intel. The institute has plans to open a computer lab on its premises at Jeevan Bhima Nagar for which it needs Rs 80 lakh. Plans to hold a tactile fashion show with the help of haute coutre Guru Prasad Bidappa are afoot. These efforts could however come to naught if the opportunity to do meaningful work continues to be denied to the visually impaired.

(Those interested in helping the Karnataka National Association for the Blind can write to them at National Association for the Blind, Karnataka Branch, CA site NO 4, NAB Road, Jeevan Bhima Nagar-560075. The web site url is http://members.tripod.com/NAB_KK. You can e-mail them at nabk@vsnl.com.)

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