Braille Eye Slate

Braille Eye Slate - A device to teach braille Script to children between the age of 4 -6 years old. The device targets to teach basic braille alphabets and numbers to visually impaired children in a much fun way.

1.Braille Eye Slate would be a electronic battery operated, rechargeable, portable, durable, cost effective, simple and easy to use device that teaches braille script to visually impaired children between 4- 8 years old. The device operated in the following way:

1. teaches basic braille alphabets

2. Teaches basic braille numeric

3. teaches alphabets with its phenoms to make learning a fun way for targeted audience.

2.One of the major challenge for engineers is to come up with simplest solution to increase literacy rate amongst the disabled group, particularly visually impaired ones. A survey was carried out as part of Final year engineering project including me and Dr. Utkal Mehta, Senior lecturer at the University of the south pacific. The results of the survey suggests that braille literacy is very low in pacific island countries and one major reason is that there is less accessibility to braille technology in the pacific. Not only are less access of special schools in urban centres but also parents not able to send their children due to remote located houses. Another drawback exist that lack of trained personnel to teach braille script. Therefore, it is highly anticipated a need of smart and simple technology to educate blind from childhood to make them independent communicator.  

3. The device that is developed is a innovative technology that addresses major problem in a simplest way. The Braille Eye Slate would teach basic braille alphabets to visually impaired children in a fun way through audio output for button press input. Buttons would be imposed with braille notations. This solution once scaled to the whole world would surely increase the braille literacy in a vast manner.

Braille Eye Slate would solve the problem of braille illiteracy particularly in the Pacific Island Countries that imposes challenges in terms of, lack of trained teachers to teach braille, less accessibility to braille technology due to cost barriers and less accessibility to special education centers due to remotely located households and parents not able to send disabled children to special schools. This solution targets one of the major disabled group which is the visually impaired ones. A simplest solution is proposed to teach basic braille scrip to visually impaired children between the age of 4 -6 years.

The first prototype for the braille Eye Slate was developed last year and after getting feed back from targeted audience final design was proposed. 5 device were made locally at the university of the south pacific and were given to blind schools around Fiji and one device was given to ministry of education Vanuatu to promote inclusive education. The feed back that we got from the blind schools were mind blowing, the students easily learn braille in a very short span of time and there is a request for more devices by Vanuatu government and the from the Fijian government.

The solution would have a vast impact in our visually impaired community not only in the South Pacific but across the whole world. with help of braille eye slate visually impaired children will learn braille from the early childhood stage that would help them to easily go up to primary level then to secondary and to tertiary and finally become independent communicators hence earning a self sufficient living.

Carry out regular surveys and practical tests. - Increasing braille knowledge amongst children in Fiji

Carry out regular surveys and practical tests. - Increasing braille knowledge amongst children in Vanuatu

Carry out regular surveys and practical tests. - Increasing braille knowledge amongst children in Solomon Islands

There have been complex designs to teach braille but till date there has not been any device that targets the primary group which is visually impaired children between 4 to 6 years of age. This solution is the simplest solution to teach braille script with minimum guidance to young children in a fun way just like anThi speaking toy that fulfills its purpose of teaching basic braille characters.

The solution proposed targets the Disabled group particularly the visually impaired group to increase the literacy rate amongst them. This device will teach braille at a very young age which they will learn for lifetime. basically it will be a lifetime productive knowledge learnt through the simplest technology.

The closest solution that is designed costs about $2000 Fijian dollars but the solution proposed would cost approximately $200 Fijian dollars that also includes the labor costs to make the solution to make it accessible for the disabled communities.

The devices had been provided to blind schools in Vanuatu and across Fiji and after few weeks of usage the teachers have been giving positive feedback and there is a demand for more devices by Vanuatu Government and Fijian Government. Currently we are looking for funds from organizations to make more devices and provide to blind schools around Pacific Free of Cost.

Some of the Factors that are limiting the ability of solution to succeed:

1. Little or no Funding to make more prototypes.

2. Components are ordered from online sources and takes time to reach Fiji.

http://fijisun.com.fj/2017/05/17/new-braille-eye-slates-for-vatuwaqa-blind-school-students/

http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=400858

http://dailypost.vu/news/braille-for-children-with-learning-disabilities/article_6ae72ef7-66fa-5bea-bebc-7a98b73ef24f.html

The primary purpose of putting the idea in solve is to secure funding to make more devices and give to the less fortunate once who have no access to such braille technology and who cannot afford such technology. Usually disabled groups, particularly visually impaired children are kept at home because parents cant afford to send them to special schools. with grants from solve we would provide these unfortunate with braille slates free of costs.

1. Dr Utkal Mehta - Project Supervisor

2. Abdul Shaiyaz Khan - Lab Technician at the University of the South Pacific.

We do not have any competitors