(UTV|COLOMBO) – The newly developed Braille to Sinhala character recognition and translation software developed by the Centre for Research and Development was officially handed over by the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Mr. Kapila Waidyaratne PC to the Principle of the Blind School Ratmalana, Mr Desman Perera during a ceremony at the MOD on Wednesday (21).
The new software was developed by the CRD in order to provide a proper solution to the difficulties faced by people with visual impairment, especially students and university undergrads in the educational and professional fields.
This new software can be seen as a major breakthrough in this field as it would provide an effective solution to communication issues faced by the visually impaired community in the country and elsewhere.
The literacy of people with visual impairment mainly rely on tactile writing and reading. The Braille system invented by Louis Braille revolutionized the reading and written communication of such people. Modern advancements in computer and ICT has made life easier for them.
The primary issue with using modern electronic braille systems in Sri Lanka is the compatibility with Sinhala language. Many of these systems are optimized only for English. The “Braille to Sinhala Converter” aims to answer this problem mainly faced by the visually impaired who are studying in schools and universities.
The system speeds up the translation process of exam papers, answer sheets, assignments and other documents and allows the teachers, instructors and scholars to improve the teaching process
Senior Ministry officials, Military Liaison Officer, Director General of CRD, teachers and students of the Blind School, Ratmalana were also present at the occasion.
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