Blind students in DU to get smart canes, DAISY players

Visually-challenged students of Delhi University will soon be getting 'mobility and accessibility' kits, including DAISY players and smart canes to help them move around with ease on campus.
"DU has joined hands with the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to provide mobility and accessibility kits to the varsity's visually-challenged students enrolled," said Anil Aneja, Officer on Special Duty at DU's Equal Opportunity Cell (EOC).
"The kit will consist of smart canes and DAISY players. While the smart canes will help the students have hassle-free mobility on campus, the DAISY players will make their studies easier," he said.
DU has roped in the services of the National Institute for the Visually Handicapped (NIVH), Dehradun, for working on the kits.

"While funds for the initiative have been provided by the ministry, the contents of the kit have been developed by NIVH. There is also a plan to include special tablets designed for the visually-challenged in the kits, but that will be worked out in the second phase," Aneja said.
The cost of each kit is estimated to be around Rs 11,000.
While the canes will be able to give vibration warnings to the students whenever there is any obstruction within a certain range, the DAISY player, which is a book-reading machine, will be able to help them in comfortably going through texts.