A city-based visually impaired software professional has come out with an 'Open source voice-enabled software' based on Linux system, for the benefit of visually handicapped people.
IT companies at present are reluctant to recruit visually impaired as they have to install proprietary software, the licence of which costs a minimum of Rs 70,000 for each computer, BBC radio reported.
C Umashankar, Managing Director, Electronic Corporation of Tamil Nadu, which is promoting the software, said Rs 0.5 million investments is needed to install proprietary software, to be shared by five visually impaired people. But, using the new software, 22 computers can be installed with the same amount. By the introduction of the new software, there will be a dramatic improvement in recruitment of visually impaired by IT companies, he said.
The new product has all the facilities similar to any windows-based software, he said. All business functions and calculations apart from browsing and e-mail facilities are available. It will read not only what appeared on the screen, but also each function carried out by the user. The software can be modified as per the needs of the user and also be re-distributed, he said. The English accent can be modified, language changed and any regional language introduced without altering basic programming code.
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