By Hello Mumbai Team (Powai):

  A new facility for students with visual impairment was inaugurated at Central Library in IIT Bombay. This facility was inaugurated by Prof. Devang  Khakhar, Director of IIT Bombay , Central Library in the presence of Prof. Prasanna Mujumdar, Deputy Director, Prof. Soumyo Mukherji, Dean of Student Affairs, Prof. Yogesh Desai, Dean of Administrative Affairs, Prof. Avinash Mahajan, Associate Dean (Academic Programmes), Prof. P. Ramadevi, Convener of Library Committee, Prof. D. Parthasarathy, Head of Department of HSS and Dr. Ranjit Kumar Das, In-Charge of Central Library.

Disability should not impede visually-challenged students from pursuing education or research. With this aim in mind, the Institute has procured modern aids and appliances such as JAWS – screen reading software (latest version), PLEXTALK Pocket DAISY player and recorder, PERKINS SMART BRAILLER, BRAILLE EMBOSSER/ printer, KUZWEIL or OPEN BOOK scan and read software (latest version), ZOOM X or PEARL – document camera-works as instant reader, SANGEETA SOFTWARE – software which convert txt files into mp3 files, Eye-PAL ROL – portable scanner and reader and PERKINS STANDARD BRAILLER.

The Director of IIT Bombay, Prof. Devang Khakhar, said, “This is a positive move towards social inclusion. I urge the library authorities to keep a tab on newer technology and better software versions. We can explore posibility of individual facilities for each visually-challenged student in future. We want more and more talented students to join the Institute and we ensure them all possible help to flourish”.