Talking libraries to go digital
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Thursday, September 18, 2011, Chandigarh, India

Talking libraries, where visually impaired individuals can listen to books instead of using Braille, will soon go digital, so that students can access recorded material from the internet and mobile phones.

The Amrik Singh Cheema Foundation Trust, which introduced the concept of talking libraries for the visually impaired students in the city free of cost, is now working towards turning it into the city's first digital talking library.

“The digitalised library will be beneficial to the visually impaired and also to the old and ailing, who cannot hold a book. We have adopted a new technique through which more books can be recorded in a lesser time,“ said Bani Cheema, executive director of the foundation. The foundation has adopted the Digital Access Information System (DAISY), where the digital audio books can be created in half the time; and the navigation system is unique that allows the user to find a particular chapter, paragraph or a line. The system breaks the entire chapter into sections, making it easier for students to find their particular requirement.

“With the higher education exams approaching, we have a huge responsibility of recording the students' syllabi, therefore we are using this system to make things easier,“ said Bani.

DAISY Forum of India has TALKING BOOKS TO BE AVAILABLE IN FORMATS ACCESSIBLE ON THE INTERNET AND MOBILE PHONES their own online catalogue that helps even international students access the books online. The foundation will also cater to international students once it starts uploading the books.

Deepika from Saksham, Delhi, who is visually impaired, is currently in the city to provide training about the system.

“JAWS (Job Access with Speech) enables the visually impaired to access books. The software reads out what is written on the screen. Through DAISY, students will get access to digitalised books that can be heard through JAWS. Therefore, students can now study without cassettes and CDs and can opt for mobile phones or computers,“ said Bani, adding that she needed more volunteers to record the books, so that the entire syllabi could be provided to the visually impaired students at the earliest.

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Helping the blind with sound sense
A local foundation began a talking library in 2010 to help the visually impaired with studies
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Thursday, September 08, 2011, Chandigarh, India

Visually impaired children have to take recourse to braille in order to read. Still 60 such individuals in the city don't have to use the method for studies, as they are making use of a talking library in the city.

The noble concept was introduced in 2010 by Dr Amrik Singh Cheema Foundation Trust.

In a talking library, visually impaired individuals can listen to books instead of using braille (a method used by the blind to read words by placing their fingers on an embossed plate).

The books are audio recorded through a mike and made into an audio file. The recording is later edited and mastered for the students to listen.

These recordings are kept in an archive from where the children can listen to any book available.

The initiative taken by the trust has helped many blind children. “My mother started recording books for visually impaired children to improve the methods used to teach them,“ says Bani Cheema, executive director of the foundation.

The library became completely functional in 2010. Apart from the initiators, help is lent by volunteers who record curriculum books and then provide them free of cost in compact discs.

“I have been coming here for three years because I can get all my curriculum books recorded. Apart from costing lesser than braille papers, they are convenient. I can listen to them repeatedly, learning is easier through these audio books,“ says Shiv Kumar, a student of Panjab University pursuing MA in Hindi.

Technology has played an important role in helping blind individuals in the city use the facility. The library uses a software application to master the audio recordings. This equipment helps in omitting any unnecessary sounds. “The technology is such that we are able to get our books recorded in a month. It is recorded in a way that we can understand the pronunciation of each and every word,“ says Himanshu Garg, who is pursuing BEd, from the Government College of Education, Sector 20.

“I have been working in the USA with a vision to do something for special children. I conducted a research on a rare eye disease to understand the reasons behind loss of sight. As my family has always been attached to special students I was drawn to help them instantly,“ says Bani, who now thinks of expanding the library catering to more than 60 students.

“Many visually impaired students can learn better and faster by listening to the audio recordings. The library is open from 9.30am to 5.30pm on weekdays. We ensure that the chapters are audible and recorded in slow speed,“ says Jyoti Sharma, one of the voice recording specialists in the foundation.

The foundation is also thinking of getting a braille embosser and a special scanner to help visually impaired students.

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National sports meet from today
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Thursday, April 14, 2011, Chandigarh, India

The National sports Meet for the Blind-2011 will be organized at Guru Nanak Stadium from April 14 to 16. The games are being organized by the Punjab Sports Association for the blind. The events will include track and (100,200,400 and 800 meters) throw events (discus, shot put and javelin), long jump and high jump.

Dr. Amrik Singh Cheema Foundation Trust (DASCFT) is sponsoring the team of Nettrheen Samaj Sewa Sangh Haryana (NSSSH). The team, compromising 10 athletes, has been provided track suits, sport shoes, travel and camp expenses.

Executive director of the foundation Bani Cheema said the foundation had established a talking library for the visually-impaired to help them pursue higher education. Besides this, the foundation will also promote sports activities for them.

Surinder singh, coach of the NSSSH team and international athlete said, “The support given by DASCFT will help the team. Mujammil Hussain, president of the NSSSH, said, we have been able to participate in the games due to the foundation.”

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