Users of 'MANI' app will have to scan the notes using the camera, it said adding that the audio output to give our results will be in Hindi and English.

MUMBAI: With an eye to aid the differently-abled, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wednesday launched a mobile app to identify currency notes. The visually challenged can identify the denomination of a note by using the application, which can also work offline once it is installed, the central bank said.

At Bengaluru’s Jyothi Seva Home for Blind Children, a particular second grader was once addicted to something that appeared like a gaming device. Despite getting repeatedly reprimanded from his teachers, the child would try getting his hands on the device as much as possible, even if that meant skipping his snack time. Sounds like the story of another gaming addicted boy perhaps? Yes and No. The device had been purposely allotted to the child by the school as it helped him learn Braille on his own through games and other fun activities.

Within a generation, technology has radically changed the way most people live their lives.

Smartphones and other devices are an added layer of convenience for many people - but they are making it possible to create innovations which could transform the everyday experiences of disabled people.

"The possibilities are immense," according to Robin Spinks, a senior innovation manager at the charity RNIB.

He is focussed on how technology can be deployed to improve the lives of blind people and those with visual impairment.

P Narahari is Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Public Relations Department and Managing Director, Madhyam, in the Madhya Pradesh government. 43-year-old Narahari has won over 40 awards, many of them honouring his efforts to build a barrier-free environment. He truly represents the #PowerOfOne.

Blind Microsoft engineer Aditi Shah is home on a break for a few months before she joins tech giant Microsoft at their headquarters in the United States. Aditi recently finished her master’s degree from the prestigious Georgia Tech university. In an in interview to NewzHook, Aditi talks about the challenges she overcame to achieve her dreams and her goal to be a mentor to blind women in India. That’s our focus on #StoryOfTheWeek.

NewzHook: Welcome home Aditi. Can you talk about the role you will be playing as a part of the Microsoft team?