IT Experts at Kathmandu University Develop Reading Software for Visually Impaired

Visually challenged people can now listen to the text written in the Nepali Language with a software developed by two IT experts at the Kathmandu University.

The Nepali language now has its own Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software that can be used by the visually challenged to listen to Nepali text. This software can scan printed text and read it in Nepali by using a feature called Text to Speech (TTS). The scanned text can also be saved to listen later.

This software was developed by Nepal Association of the Blind (NAB).

Nar Bahadur Limbu, director of the NAB, said that the Australian government had provided financial assistance worth Rs 2.4 million for the development of the software that could prove a boon for the 95,000 blind population recorded in the country in the last census.

According to him, the software works as the alternative of an eye to those visually challenged ones as they could read Nepali letters.

NAB is soon to organize a training project to orient 100 blind people to operate this software. Every blind person registered in NAB will receive a laptop to use the software.

This project is estimated to cost Rs. 20 million. NAB is now working on getting donors interested to complete the project.