A new technology now allows visually impaired people to work shoulder to shoulder with non-visually impaired people in the B.P.O. (Business Process Outsourcing) industry.

The technology ‘Neil’ (Navigation and Expert Interaction Logic) offers a ‘talking companion’, according to Shyam Kedare, ‘Softnet Interactive Private Limited’ which conceptualised the new technique. The software is used to transform coded data into audio format through a landline telephone instrument. The caller first listens to the information and then makes a call to the customer.

The technology allows companies to map mainstream job workflows through a remote voice server and help visually impaired persons to access the information needed using the touchstone phone.

The technology was utilised by the Employment Department of the National Association for the Blind (N.A.B.), Karnataka, to impart call centre training to visually impaired people who were trained in marketing skills and later absorbed as telemarketing executives by Tata Teleservices, said, M Srinivas, chief employment officer, N.A.B.

Tata Teleservices' Drishti project had started functioning in September 2005. Srinivas added: "Tata Teleservices was happy with their (visually impaired recruits) performance and productivity."