PRESENTATION – PART 2 : EDUCATION

BRAILLE FOR EDUCATION : A SPECIAL URGENCY

Use of Braille survives today because for the blind it is an only and unavoidable solution for Literacy.

BUT ITS USE FOR EDUCATION IS PROVING DIFFICULT

This is because of the high production costs and vast volumes of braille-based educational material.

Also, inexpensive and easy to use audio tools offered today by technology are becoming an attractive alternative for

rapid access to the vast resources of educational material

A ROLE FOR BRAILLE IN EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT

But this will become possible only if Technology provides Refreshable Braille Solutions that are inexpensive and easy to use.

Let me present our prime solution for this challenge :

THE NATESAN REFRESHABLE BRAILLE DISPLAY (NRBD)

The NRBD will come in models priced downwards of US$ 200 where existing commercdial models cost upwards of US$ 2000.

The dramatic drop in cost is due to an innovative design of elegant simplicity. The NRBD uses a building block comprised of a cheap flat octogonal plastic disk with solid dots formed on its eight edges simulating all the eight possible dot patterns of a column of a braille cell. A pair of disks rotated against each other around a spindle across their centre. This enables a pair of adjacent edges to successively present a full cell of two columns with dots in any of the full set of braille codes.

THIS BUILDING BLOCK IS CALLED THE NATESAN DISK.

THE NATESAN DISK HELPS TO MAKE

CHEAP MANUAL LEARNING DEVICES AS BELOW

THE NATESAN DISK THE NATESAN BLOCK

to make braille letters to make braille word

THE BRAILLE DISPLAY

to make braille sentences

THE NATESAN REFRESHABLE BRAILLE DISPLAY (NRBD)

INTRODUCTION

The simple manual Natesan Display shown at the bottom of the last slide suggested possibilities of adapting it for electro-mechanical operation under electronic control.

This idea resulted in designing and making the full-fledged Natesan Refreshable Braille Display (NRBD).

The NRBD costing downwards of US$ 200 can thus establish an important role for

Braille in the reach of Education to the world’s blind

THE NATESAN REFRESHABLE BRAILLE DISPLAY

THE BASIC DISK BUILDING BLOCK AND ITS CONTROLS

THE NATESAN REFRESHABLE BRAILLE DISPLAY

A CLOSEUP VIEW OF OPERATIONAL ASSEMBLIES

THE NATESAN REFRESHABLE BRAILLE DISPLAY

THE TOTAL ASSEMBLY

THE NATESAN REFRESHABLE BRAILLE DISPLAY

THE USER FUNCTIONALITY

Training Mode 1 : For operation by blind perons using the Keypad with

audio feedback for data entry and navigation.

Training Mode 2 : For operation by a sighted teacher with visual

display feedback.

Braille Book Mode : Storage and retrieval of text files from USB pen

drives.

Brailler Mode : Creation fof text files from the Keypad, and storage

and retrieval from USB pen drives.

Computer Mode : For visual and tactile text display with text to speech

support from a PC (to be provided in later models).

Clock Mode : To display Date and Time.

The entire unit is self-contained, Microprocessor controlled It operates from a rechargeable battery or from mains power.

LET US NOW SEE HOW THE NRBD WILL BE USED

FOR BRAILLE BASED EDUCATION

USE OF THE NRBD IN BRAILLE-BASED EDUCATION

THE UNIVERSAL EDUCATION KIT (UEK).

The Natesan Refreshable Braille Display will now form a critical part of our next basic solution, the Universal Education Kit (UEK), that provides the equipment requirements for the effective teaching of the full range of all school subjects to blind children.

The UEK is a combination of I.T. hardware and software built on principles of Universal Design that will enable all children, able or disabled, to be able to use the facilities across language and disability.

Let us now look at the Universal Education Kit built around a typical Net-book

THE UNIVERSAL EDUCATION KIT (UEK)

HARDWARE

System : Netbook : Atom CPU-1.66GHz-Dual Core; Touch Screen (Multi-Touch), Keyboard, Touchpad, I GB RAM, 250 GB HDisk, Camera, VGA, LAN and 3 USB Connectors, WLAN, WiFi connectivity, Mic Input and Audio Output, Lithium battery with 6 hour support

Peripherals : Remote Keyboard / Touchpad, Tablet, Speakers & Headset, Projector & Screen, Inkjet printer, Scanner, Brailler, along with the Natesan Refreshable Braille Display.

Miscellaneous : A small stock of MP3/Daisy Players and Recorders to be made available for being borrowed for short periods by poor students. Other items include a UPS unit, and miscellaneous long cables with connectors to enable wired input devices to be passed around and shared by children in a classroom for interactive participation.

THE UNIVERSAL EDUCATION KIT ((UEK)

SOFTWARE (MOSTLY FREE OPEN SOURCE)

Operating System (Windows Or Other)

Office Suite : Open Office

Text To Speech : Nvda

Speech To Text : Simon

Local Language Editor Software

Magnifier & On-Screen Keyboards

Head Mouse Software

Internet Browsers

Educational Packages : Animations, Simulations, Skill Trainers, Inter-Active Programmes etc

GPS Software

THE UEK IS PRICED AT INR 60000 OR US$ 1200

THIS CAN BE MET FROM DONATIONS

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