ELCOT to train blind for ITeS: Chairman

Chennai, Oct 23 (UNI) The Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu (ELCOT) has chalked out a plan to impart training in Information Technology (IT) to visually-impaired students across the state to help them secure employment in ITeS units.

Talking to the press here today, ELCOT Chairman Uma Shankar said ''each and every school for the blind will get the latest system loaded with a special software --Linux wth Orca-- to help students easily learn use of the system.

Explaining about the project initiated by the Tamil Nadu Government, Mr Shankar said ''we will be imparting training to all visually-challenged students with the help of Orca, a special software designed by a Mumbai-based visually-impaired software engineer.

''Initially, we will be installing about 26 computer systems in schools for the blind,'' he said adding ''gradually, more institutions will come under the scheme depending on the requirements.'' All teachers in the schools for the blind would be given an orientation programme on training the students.

On Orca, he said it was available as a free download with a built-in-interface to access speech output programme. This would enable the visually challenged people to learn various software like Wordpad and Spread Sheet apart from browsing.

UNI