Fifty visually impaired college students were imparted hands-on computer training during a five-day residential programme that concluded here on Friday.

The residential programme was held at the National Institute of Technology here from December 26 to 30. The basic computer training was jointly organised by Jagajothi Readers Circle and NIT, Tiruchi.

The participating students, including 15 girls, were from Tiruchi, Pudukottai, Karur, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Coimbatore and Virudhunagar districts.

The training was imparted using NVDA (Non Visual Desktop Access) software which converts text to speech.

The participants were given an orientation on e-Wallet and digital transactions as part of the training programme.

The whole objective of the programme was to make the visually impaired students digitally literate to help them gain employment, said J. Abdul Jaffer, coordinator, Jagajothi Readers Circle, Tiruchi.

Certificates were distributed to the participants at a function held at NIT on Friday.

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited Deputy General Manager R. Thangavelu, Regional Joint Director of Collegiate Education, M. M. Senthamilselvi, Professor and Head, Department of Placement and Training, NIT, Tiruchi Dr. Bakthavatsalam and P. C. Shivashankar, managing director, Ceeyes Metal Engineering, Chennai participated.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/Computer-training-for...impaired/article16973011.ece