Training of Malayalam eSpeak with NVDA
NVDA team conducted a two days training on January 24 and 25, 2015 in Tiruvananthapuram. The programme was inaugurated by Dr. Veeramanikandan, Pro Vice Chancellor of the Kerala University and the eSpeak new version was launched by Suresh S, PSC member, who is an advocate for the blind in getting jobs in Kerala government.
Felicitation speeches were delivered by Prof. L. Unnikrishnan, Head of Department, Economics Department, SB College and Dr. Sindhu Nair, Professor at St. Michales College. Both colleges were running a DAISY resource centre for their students. The programme was chaired Er. N.T.Nair, vice chairman of Chakshumathi.
Chakshumathi’s main trainer Akhil M. took espeak Malayalam classes and Dr. Homiyar took classes on NVDA and accessible equipment. The participants were first given a round of training on reading with espeak and then given a through training on Malayalam keyboard layout and combinations.
Naufal T N, trainer of Chakshumathi gave an orientation to all participants on using mobile phones to read Malayalam newspapers and reading contents.
Closing ceremony on 25th was attended by Chakshumathi’s Chairman Prof. V.K. Damodaran, along with representatives IEEE SIGHT (Special Interest Group on Humanitarian Technologies) who are the partners of Chakshumathi’s accessible eyes free science projects. IEEE was represented by their Humanitarian technologies former global chair Dr. Amarnath Raja and Ms. Holly Schneider Brown, SIGHT staff lead from New York headquarters. She was on a journey to Tiruvananthapuram and provided an update on the SIGHT program, as well as SIGHT group activities from around the world. Ms. Holy Brown distributed the certificates to participants.
Chakshumathi is now planning to conduct regional workshops on espeak and NVDA at their resource centres at Calicut University and Kochi office for local participants.
List of Participants
- Ali Mon
- Sudheer S
- Sreehari Narayanan
- Ajith Kumar
- Subhin H
- Abin H
- Rajith Kumar
- Nandhu C S
- Kannan C S
- Reshma S
- Divya S
- Marina Damiyan
- Mariyumma C P
- Nabeela M
- Meharuniza S
- Sreeja V.K.
- Vineesh Kumar
- Chandra Babu
- Raghavan
- Albert
- Safi Saif
- Santhosh
- Robinraj
- Mubina M
- Sabeena M
- Anil Kumar
- Lijin A
- Ashok Kumar
- Prof. L. Unnikrishnan
- Akhil M (Chief Trainer)
- Noufal T N (Asst. Trainer)
