PUNE: The Abasaheb
Garware College recently installed an audio notice board for its visually impaired students.
There are 32 visually impaired students studying in the college and the technology aid set up for them is among the several other initiatives being undertaken by the college for the differently abled.
The audio notice board was designed by two former students of AISSM’s College of Engineering —
Nandan Gawte and Ankita Pawar.
It has a set of headphones and a student has to press the button of their choice for example — first, second, or third year — to hear the text-to-speech translation of the notice put up by the college.
The principal of the college Muktaja Matkari said, “The audio notice board is installed to address the visually challenged students of our college. The aim is to build confidence among the students, stay connected with them and assure them they are a part of the main stream college.”
The total cost of installation was Rs25,000 and Matkare said the same could be replicated by other colleges as well to aid the visually impaired.
Rajan Walhe, the in-charge of the committee for the visually challenged students, said, “The important notices and instructions for students which are regularly put on the board are recorded by a faculty member in her voice. This voice recording is then fed into the system which is computerized.”
The initiative is dedicated to Jalindar Bhosale who was the former in-charge of the committee that initiated this project.
A student listens to the audio notice board.
