KVTC NEWS Update

News Updates:
Admissions are opened for Competitifve Examinations Preparatory
 Course (CEPC) up to 1st August (Friday )2014 at KVTC
Registrations are invited from visually impaired friends for
 General Health Camp on 16th August (Saturday) 2014. The last date for
 registration is 10th August (Sunday) 2014.

What is a Talking ATM?

 A Talking ATM is a type of automated teller machine (ATM) that provides audible instructions so that persons who cannot read an ATM screen can independently use the machine. The world’s first talking ATM for the blind was an NCR machine unveiled by the Royal Bank of Canada on October 22, 1997 at a bank branch on the corner of Bank Street and Queen Street in Ottawa, Ontario.

Talking ATM in India: Union Bank of India became the first bank to make electronic banking easier for the visually impaired with its “talking” ATM. India’s first “talking” Automated Teller Machine has been inaugurated in Ahmedabad. The ATM by the UBI is the first of its kind for the visually challenged.

According to functionaries of the Blind People’s Association, the users have to plug-in a headphone into the ATM which has a unique voice interface and once it is done the machine guides them into further operations.

The ATM can also be operated by wheel chair-bound persons as well.

Tarak Luhar, visually impaired since birth, was the first to withdraw money from the country’s first ‘Talking ATM’ installed by the Union Bank of India.

The following steps to operate this talking ATM Machine.

COMMON STEPS 

1. Customer inserts the Audio jack. 

2. The customer is greeted by the ATM with a message "Welcome to State Bank ATM" 

3. The customer is prompted by the ATM to select the language of his choice. "Press 1 for  English; Press 2 for Hindi" 

4. The talking ATM confirms the selection of language. "You have selected English/Hindi as the  language of your choice" based on the customer's input. 

5. The ATM prompts the customer to select the volume level. "Press 1 to increase the volume.  Press 2 to decrease the volume" 

6. The ATM prompts to select the display option, whether to hide or show the transaction on  the screen for privacy. "Press 1 to hide the screen. Press 2 to show the screen" 

7. The ATM prompts the customer to select whether he requires the orientation of the ATM. 

"Press 1 to hear the orientation. Press 2 to skip the orientation" 

8. If the customer selects to hear the orientation, The ATM describes the lay out of the ATM. 

After hearing the orientation the ATM prompts the customer whether he wants the ATM to  repeat the orientation. "Press 1 for Yes. Press 2 to continue the transaction" 

9. The ATM requests the customer to insert their ATM card and remove it. 

10. The ATM asks the customer to enter their ATM PIN. "Please enter your PIN and press the 

enter key"

 

 

What are the benefits of testing web content with screen readers?

Listening to your web content rather than looking at it can be an "eye-opening" experience (pardon the pun) that takes sighted users out of their normal comfort zone. It gives sighted users a chance to evaluate their content from an entirely different perspective: from the perspective of a blind person. A lot of times you'll end up finding mistakes that would have been hard to catch visually. For example, spelling mistakes become very obvious when you hear words mispronounced by the screen reader. Screen readers are also very good for checking the accuracy and quality of image alternative text. Screen readers can also help you identify problems with reading order, table markup, form elements, and many other aspects of accessibility.
Should I always test my web content for accessibility using a screen reader?
Perhaps. If you know how to use a screen reader, this kind of test can be extremely valuable, especially for more complex or dynamic content. If you don't know how to use a screen reader, testing with a screen reader can be frustrating and counterproductive. In fact, you could mistakenly think that nearly everything you've created is inaccessible, when the real problem may be that you just don't know how to use a screen reader properly. WebAIM provides articles on Using JAWS to Evaluate Web Accessibility, Using NVDA to Evaluate Web Accessibility, and Using VoiceOver to Evaluate Web Accessibility which teach basic usage of these popular screen readers.
So if I don't know how to use a screen reader, I shouldn't even try?
Well, that would be an easy way out, but before you start making excuses, let's take a look at what you'd be missing out on. Screen reader users are one of the primary beneficiaries of your accessibility efforts, so it makes sense to understand their needs. Of course, you don't want to fall into the trap of thinking that accessibility is only relevant to screen reader users. Too many people focus on blindness to the exclusion of people with other disability types (motor, auditory, cognitive, low vision, etc.) whose needs are just as relevant.
Although a screen reader isn't a "browser" in the same way that Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer are browsers (in fact, in most cases the screen reader depends on those browsers), screen readers are a way of accessing web content that is different from the way that sighted people use browsers. If you don't understand these differences, you won't understand what the accessibility challenges are for screen reader users, and you won't be able to design effectively for this audience.
What are the main differences between the way sighted users and screen reader users access web content?

Smart devices: Are they smart?

Shoes that tell you the map of a mall; glasses that vibrate when near an object; apps that identify objects for you; list of devices are such long when it comes to assistive navigational devices in the market. When in countries like USA themselves where the infrastructure accessibility is far better, people invent and use such devices, in countries like India where accessibility still remains a word, people get excited and long for such devices when they hear/read about them. Two such devices that are widely demonstrated and discussed in India are the smart canes and the glasses. No doubt, they are going to share the writing pad this time.
What is a smart cane? If you want an official definition, here it is:
The "Smart Cane" is an innovative device that can be mounted onto a traditional white cane carried by the visually challenged. It uses ultrasonic sensors
to detect obstacles at up to three metres. The range of the detected obstacles is conveyed to the user using vibratory signals with differentiated characteristics.
It is designed as a user-detachable unit and is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, such as those commonly found in mobile phones and digital
cameras. – www.phoenix medicalsystems.com
In other words, a smart cane is a device with ultrasonic censors that work like a batt in detecting objects. However, these censors can detect objects only above knees and objects lower than that will be taken care of by the traditional white cane on which the device is attached. The user can adjust the position of these censors to up, straight and low as per their requirements. The device vibrates when it detects an object/person at a distance of three metres. As you move closer to the object, the frequency of vibration increases to indicate that you are nearer the object. In India, this project is a join venture by Saksham Trust, Delhi, IIT, Delhi and Phoenix Medical Systems, Chennai.
When testing its usability, I can easily say it is an excellent innovation as it is portable, battery powered and affordable. However, smart cane is not designed with the intelligence to differentiate between objects and human beings. It doesn’t have location censor too. So it vibrates even in a crowded place like a bus stop or on a train which would confuse the blind/visually impaired user. It does not have censors for the sides and so will not be able to indicate anything on either sides. But this is acceptable as the user anyway would get to know as he/she taps the cane. So it is advisable to switch off the smart cane when you reach a crowded place and use the traditional cane, the mobility training experts say.
Smart glasses are mostly the same in India as I heard from one founders of an organization who had had the opportunity of witnessing a demo. However, deep readings reveals that the developed countries have been testing glasses which are intelligent to read bus numbers, street signs and so on. These intelligent glasses are still under researchers’ hands and so we have to wait until they hit the market.
During one discussion with an NID (national Institue of Design) graduated engineer, my friend and I shared some points:
1. Smart cane should be aided with cameras
2. It should be network enabled to use location based services
3. It should have the text to speech function to describe the location/object/person information
4. It should allow the user to connect an earphone with it.
The reply wee got is  that it is not at all difficulty in this tech-enabled world. However, it needs lot of funding and building these systems on a smart cane will make it an expensive affair to buy for a visually challenged user.
The current smart cane is surely a development in navigational accessible technologies and the goodnews is that some NGOs give these smart canes for free for students. Only if the scientists, funding organizations, marketing organizations join hands to make it more affordable, intelligent and useful,  accessibility will become more meaningful in many people’s lives.

SOMU AND RAMU TRAIN JOURNEY EXPERIENCE -

Friends,
 I am glad to meet you all through this Fortnightly newsletter.
 Following is the Dialogue between two visually challenged boys
 regarding their accessible train journey.
 One fine day, they meet each other in platform of Avadi station.
 Somu:  Hi Ramu, How do you do?
 Ramu:  I'm Fine. So how are you? Where do you want to go now?
 Somu:  I want to go to central station.
 Ramu:  A train is coming. No one is here to tell us that this train
 goes to central or beach station. How can we find out ?
 (Train stands and they can hear an audio that "This train is going
 to Chennai central" in Hindi, Tamil and English. Then they board the train)
 Ramu: Hey, this electronic announcement is very useful to us, right?
 Somu: Yes. Once we found difficult to ask the people around. Don't we?
 But this audio
 announces the station where the train goes, the current station and
 the next station.
 Ramu: We should thank the Railway department for this wonderful
 accessibility which is made for us.
 Somu: It is very accessible that if this is available in all trains.
 Ramu: if this happen, we have difficulty in finding the compartment only.
 Somu:  Let's think how can be tackle to find the compartment because we
 are getting scolding's from the others if we board on Ladies or First
 class compartment.
 Ramu: It is easy to find the compartment, if there is a Braille symbol
 on the 2 sides of the handle of the step.
 Somu: A few visually challenged people don't know Braille. What they will do?
 and Also we can't touch it while we board train in hurry. What can we
 do for that?
 Ramu: Yes, you are right. Have you gone to NIVH?
 Somu: No. Why are you asking this now?
 Ramu: There is an audio signal sounds like 'tink tink' on the entrance
 of the institution. Visually challenged persons can find the place
 easily.
 Somu: Oh. Is it so, Ramu?
 Ramu: We have only 4 different compartments in local trains such as -
 1st class, 2nd class, Ladies and Vendors - compartment.
 We may even suggest giving 4 different sounds for each compartment
 which may very accessible to board the right compartment.
 Somu: Ok. Let's hope this accessibility comes soon. I have to get down
 at the coming station.
 Ramu: Okay. Bye!! See you!!
 So, Hope you all might have enjoyed this conversation.
 I am expecting many suggestions from your side for our accessible journey.

 --

KVTC News:

Karna Vidya Technology Centre (KVTC) is going to launch Career


Centric Computer Training (CCCT) course on 21st July 2014 (Monday) in

Chennai.



The parent club of KVTC, Rotaract Club of Drishti, on 13 07 2014

(Sunday) had endeavoured a new venture. It had conducted a Workshop on

Voice and Non-voice based Vocations in Media for visually impaired

youth.

KVTC Career Centric Computer Training 2014-15

Figure 1 Enable India Logo

Work Address: #12, KHB Colony, Koramangala 8th Block, Bangalore 95.

Reg. Address: # 694, 6A Cross, 3rd Block Koramangala, Bangalore 34.

Telephone: 080 – 42823636

Mobile: 9845313919

Email: ctvi@enable-india.org.

Website: www.enable-india.org



Figure 2 KVTC Logo

Work Address:

Karna Vidya Technology Centre

RR Towers III, Thiru-Vi-Ka Industrial Estate,

Guindy, Chennai - 600 032.



Mobile: 9444976822, 9840018012

Email: info@kvtc.in

Website: www.kvtc.in





Computer Training For Visually Impaired

Career Centric Computer Training (CCCT) Program



Course Code: CCCT Duration: 6 Months



The new batch for Career Centric Computer Training (CCCT) for the visually impaired will commence on July 21th, 2014.

Introduction to Karna Vidya Technology Centre (KVTC):

Karna Vidya Technology Centre (KVTC) is a non-profitable organization working ceaselessly with the moto: “Empowerment and economic independence of the visually impaired through employment”. In order to provide an independent and accessible learning atmosphere and training courses for better employment beyond teaching, KVTC has been conducting various assistive technology aided certificate courses for the visually impaired.

The courses offered by KVTC shall be aligned with the industry, government work-profiles requirements. The goal is to lead the visually impaired to a job opportunity with the guidance of Enable India in IT sector, Government and other Sectors. In partnership with Enable India, the KVTC is now offering Career Centric Computer Training Course (CCCT) in Chennai commencing on 14th July 2014.

Introduction to Career Centric Computer Training (CCCT):

Computer Training for the visually impaired is the greatest form of empowerment which opens up the world to them: a world of information (aiding research, education, daily living, recreation), people, jobs, books (print to voice).

Computer training involves training on Computer Basics, MS office applications, Internet using the JAWS & NVDA screen reading software which are talking software that aid the visually impaired to “hear” everything that a sighted person would “read”.

This is an initiative from Enable India team towards giving quality computer training for visually impaired people who have completed their studies and are seeking job.

Main goal of this course is to make the candidate employable by providing computer knowledge and making them efficient in using computers independently. This will increase the employment opportunities, betterment of existing job, and for higher studies.

Course Contents:

1. Life skills and life education training for both career and life: personal competencies, overcoming disability, managing conflicts, effective work habits etc.

2. English training: spoken and written communication, business communication and heavy emphasis is to enhance spellings.

3. Computers: basic computers with Microsoft Office applications like MS word, excel, outlook, power point, and internet.

4. Miscellaneous concepts like scanning and reading, Printing documents, CD Burning, Physical connections of computer, trouble shooting etc…

5. Employability training: disability specifics which will enable candidates to overcome their disability, General employability fundamentals which will enable them to work efficiently on the computer,

job simulation and real – life projects which will help candidates to know about different jobs.

6. Fun and Entertainment

Material Used:

1. Computers with

a. Windows 7 operating system and

b. Office 2007,

c. Jaws 14

d. Latest NVDA

e. Audio and DAISY players

2. Audio files for Theory

3. Training manuals and Student manuals (Student manuals are available in English, Hindi, Kannada and also be provided in Tamil for required students).

4. Self paced exercises for each concept.

5. Weekly tests and final assessment test.

6. Designed Curriculum with computer concepts and employment aspects.

7. Tactile Diagrams

8. EYE tool for automated correction and self learning.

9. Spelling Tool

10. Real world exposure through role simulations on the computer



Activities:

• Field visits to the bank, shopping malls, ATM’s etc where candidates learn about the usage of computers in different fields.

• Work shadowing in the companies

• Real work which will give hands-on experience of working in a company/NGO

• Candidates also carry out project work which involves requirements gathering, planning, status reporting and execution.

• 20 hours of Community Project is mandatory for Course completion.



Course Format:

• The duration of the course is 6 months. (4 months Basic Foundation & 2 months Skilled Employability)

• First month will be focused on typing, listening comprehension, Spellings, mobility, awareness of assistive aids and work environment. The next 3 months will be focused on basic computer operations with Windows application. And, English communication, mobility, employability and life skills are additional subjects. The last 2 months will be skilled employability training for vocational skills enhancement.



Course Details:

Duration : 6 Months (4 months Basic Foundation & 2 months Skilled Employability

training)

Timings : 9.30 a.m. – 5.00 PM, Monday – Saturday

Start Date : 15th July 2014 and 10th January 2015

Seats : 15 Seats based on First come First Admitted basis

Premise : Karna Vidya Technology Centre, Guindy, Chennai

Course Fee : FREE



Facilities:

• Accommodation Assistance will be provided to get PG or Hostel based on request on nominal charges. Candidates have to help themselves with the lodging and boarding charges.

• Assistance will be provided in getting employment for eligible candidates based on their course assessment performance



Eligibility:

• Any Visually Impaired person with graduation or equivalent diploma for CCCT. PUC / +2 pass candidates may be considered on an exception basis

• Maximum age limit is 35 years as on 1st June 2014

• Visually Impaired persons who can dedicate their full time for the entire course duration for their career benefits



Important Note: Persons who are waiting to join other courses / education / employment during the CCCT course schedule period of July 2014 to January 2015, please excuse.



LAST DATE FOR REGISTRATION: 9th July 2014



Joining Procedure:

• Candidates have to call KVTC front office (Mobile number: 9444976822) and register for the course. Alternatively, send an email with full information on their contact, qualification to info@kvtc.in or kvtc.chennai@gmail.com

• Candidates will be short-listed after the initial assessment interview over the phone

• For Candidates based in Chennai, the initial assessment interview for joining the course would be person



For further queries contact us:

Karna Vidya Technology Centre

RR Towers III,

Thiru-Vi-Ka Industrial Estate

Guindy, Chennai - 600 032.

Telephone: 09444976822, 9840018012

Email: info@kvtc.in or kvtc.chennai@gmail.com



Contact Person:

1. Mr. S. Hariharan, The Manager, KVTC

2. Mr. K. Raghuraman, The Centre Co-ordinator, KVTC