e-library for the print-disabled – Landmark Move
- Outfit for blind ties up with
Bookshare
If
you are a bookworm, let not print disability come in your way.
In
a landmark move, the National Association for the Blind (NAB), Jharkhand
chapter, and Ranchi-based voluntary outfit Lakshya have come to an
understanding with Bookshare - the world's largest digital library for the
differently abled - to allow special readers in the state free access to a
collection of over 5 lakh books.
The
virtual library, supported by the US department of education, offers books in
user-friendly formats, including DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System
or talking books) and BRF (Braille Ready Format), to the print-disabled -
people who cannot effectively read printed materialbecause of visual, physical,
perceptual, developmental, cognitive or learning disabilities.
"We
had had talks with Homiyar Mobedji (accessibility and access technology
consultant, NAB-Mumbai) and Zainab Chinikamwala (representative of Bookshare in
India) in the last week of May for a formal understanding to facilitate access
to book stocks. The formalities were completed last month (June) and we are now
providing training to those interesting in downloading books from www.bookshare.org
or reading them at our centre in Jamshedpur," said NAB (Jharkhand) general
secretary Atul Ranjan Sahay, also a senior Tata Steel executive and himself
visually challenged.
Arun
Kumar Singh, a resident of Dhurwa, Ranchi, who runs Lakshya, said the tie-up
with Bookshare would end the crunch of quality fiction and non-fiction in the
world of the print-disabled.
"Earlier,
they had to search for books in friendly formats for months in order to prepare
for entrance examinations and professional courses. Now, they can downloaded
all books at a click and need not depend on a reader," he said.
To
access Bookshare's rich treasures, one has to fill in a form with personal
details (name, address, contact number and email) and submit a disability
certificate to either NAB or Lakshya.
"We
shall send the forms to Zainab in Pune via email along with a scanned copy of
the medical certificate (of disability from a competent government authority).
Every verified applicant will get a user ID and password via email, which can
then be used to log in to Bookshare. Books can be download in formats of their
choice on desktop, laptop or smartphone," Singh said.
A
DAISY file is designed to be a complete audio substitute for print material and
comes in handy for people with impaired vision or dyslexia. Based on the MP3
and XML formats, DAISY has advanced features in addition to those of a
traditional audio book.
BRF
(Braille Ready Format) is an electronic text file that is transcribed into
Braille. One needs specialised software (or hardware) that can open and read
BRF files. Most devices will not recognise BRF automatically. Users can open
the file in a software programme, such as Duxbury, which allows them to view,
edit, or emboss the book, or transfer the file to a Braille note taker,
explains the Bookshare website.
As
of now, around 30 persons from Ranchi and other districts have benefited from
Bookshare while 12 are undergoing training at NAB, Jamshedpur.
"We
will request the state to enter into an understanding with Bookshare so that
all government textbooks can be downloaded in the mentioned formats. Rajasthan
has already done it. This will help those with print disability at school
level," Sahay summed up.
Regards
Pralhad
Jadhav
Senior Manager @
Knowledge Repository
Khaitan
& Co
Upcoming Lecture | ACTREC - BOSLA Annual lecture series (125th birth anniversary of father of library
science, Padmashree Dr. S. R. Ranganathan) on Saturday, 12th August 2017 at Advanced Centre for Treatment,
Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Kharghar, Navi Mumbai. (Theme | 'MakerSpace')
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