The Odisha government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bhubaneswar, today, Monday, March 4, with an aim to provide inclusive and quality education to students with visual impairments in the state, said a report by PTI.
The Social Security & Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) Department signed the agreement with the premiere technological institute in the presence of SSEPD Minister Ashok Panda and Principal Secretary Bishnupada Sethi in Bhubaneswar today, March 4.
As per the collaboration, the Sponsored Research and Industrial Consultancy (SRIC) of IIT Bhubaneswar will work in collaboration with Exclusive TinkerLab on modern learning via Coding, Micro bit, 3D Painting, Games and Animation, Mobile Apps, Machine Learning (ML), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics.
SSEPD Minister Ashok Panda said that improvements in assistive technology, particularly with regard to computers, tablets and smartphones, have made it possible for people with visual impairments to read and write in standard scripts.
IIT Bhubaneswar will provide technical guidance and support for the identification of the right assistive devices as per the identified needs of blind students, said Principal Secretary Bishnupada Sethi.
The project will take up the training of students, career counseling, setting up of recording labs and accessible art centres for students with visual impairments, added PTI.
