135 new NCERT books being converted in braille for visually impaired students

Dehradun: The Central Braille Press here is in the process of converting several books, including some related to government acts, into e-publication format to make them accessible for visually impaired people.

Another project undertaken by the Central Braille Press is the conversion of NCERT books that have recently undergone syllabus change into braille format.

Central Braille Press chief Mohd Iqtedar Ahmad told PTI that the process was started last month and the e-publications would be inaugurated soon.

He said some government institutions have also shared books, including on the Customs Act and GST law, to be converted to e-pub format so that these could be accessed by visually impaired officers.

"This is a pilot project and we are looking into how we can convert these books using the software which could be heard as audiobooks by the persons with disabilities," he said.

An e-publication can be easily converted to audio format for the people with visual impairment to hear.

"About 135 NCERT books that have undergone syllabus change recently are being converted and reprinted in braille for visually impaired students and the new copies with the changes would be ready by next month," Ahmad said.

Of these books, about 107 have been completely reworked while the rest have minor changes, Ahmad added.

Based in Dehradun, the Central Braille Press is the first press of its kind in India and one of the oldest braille presses in Asia. Central Braille Press is the largest producer of braille text books in India.

The press produces braille books in different languages, including Hindi, English, Punjabi, Urdu, and Sanskrit. It supplies textbooks from Class I to VI free of cost and at highly subsidised rates from Class VII and onwards.

The press also regularly brings out magazines for blind readers to keep them abreast about the latest developments. These magazines are "Braille Times (weekly), News magazine, Nayan Rashmi (monthly in Hindi) and Braille Digest (bi-monthly in English)".

Published on: Sunday, June 04, 2023, 08:28 PM IST