Software opens up new world for blind
Software opens up new world for blind
Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
"I love the Internet because it opens up new worlds for me,
anything I want to know about is there, and thanks to screen
reader I don't have to depend on others to understand," said 18-
year-old M. Ikhwan Toriqo as he accessed more websites.
Glaucoma robbed Riqo of his vision when he was only 11 years
old, and before the Internet and the screen reader software, the
lanky high school student was dependent on others to be able to
access any printed information.
"I like reading about computer stuff, it doesn't come in
audiobook form. Novels I get through audiobook, but since most
are in English, I don't really understand them either," Riqo, who
wants to study IT at university but is unsure whether any will
admit a visually impaired student, told The Jakarta Post.
A lack of reading materials for the visually impaired --
particularly popular literature in Bahasa Indonesia -- is one of
the biggest obstacles for the blind who want to get ahead in this
country.
"They say that books are the window to the world, but there is
hardly a publisher here that produces popular books in both print
and audio forms," Mitra Netra Foundation deputy executive
director Irwan Dwi Kustanto, said.
Himself suffering from reduced vision -- only 2 percent of his
eyesight remains -- Irwan remembers the frustrations of having to
always ask another person to read to him.
The foundation has been developing audiobooks since 1992,
which to date total more than 3,000 titles -- mainly instruction
manuals and school textbooks. But compared to the number of books
being printed each day in the world of the people with full
vision, the blind cannot keep up.
"The cost of producing an audiobook is quite high -- for the
recording studio itself, hiring someone who is a good enough
reader -- we are only able to produce a maximum of 20 books a
month," Irwan said.
On the other hand, digital books read through a screen reader
were much cheaper, easier and faster to produce. All they needed
were volunteers to retype the printed books into Microsoft Word
format.
Which is why, Mitra Netra Foundation launched the One Thousand
Books for the Visually Impaired program early this week.
"We ask volunteers to set aside some time in their hectic
schedules to retype the books they choose themselves and send
them to us through e-mail or post," Irwan said, adding that the
foundation has the support of Samsung DigitAll Hope for the
initial 300 books.
A list of books that needed to be retyped are available
through www.mitranetra.or.id/ebook, but volunteers may also
suggest their own titles. The foundation only requires the books
to be popular literature, in Bahasa Indonesia and published in or
after 2000, to provide the blind access to the latest trends and
information.
"We don't want to always be the last to know. As it is, we can
only listen to others talk of how great some new books are,
without having immediate access to them," Irwan said.
The retyped books will then be edited and converted into a
form that the blind can access -- audio with the help of a screen
reader software for the blind, and magnified letters for those
with limited vision.
The finished product will then be distributed through four
special libraries for the blind in Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta,
and Makassar.
"Because the digital talking books need special computer
software, they can only be accessed through computers in the
libraries," Irwan said, explaining that the foundation has also
been training the blind to use the computer and the Internet.
He also said that since the books are for the noncommercial
use of the visually impaired, copyrights are waived according to
the 2002 Law No. 19 on Intellectual Property Rights.
For more information on the program, please contact Mitra
Netra Foundation, Jl. Gunung Balong II No. 58, Lebak Bulus 3,
South Jakarta. Tel. 021-7651386, 75913480, Fax 021-7655264.