HUL 286 TERM PROJECT

National Association for the Blind Bus identification System

a detailed and in-depth analysis with personal accounts.

Submitted by: Siddhartha Das. Sanchit Jain. Arushi Agrawal. Prakhar Jain.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND

National Association for Blind (NAB) is a NGO which is solely dedicated to the upliftment of blind population of the country. It was set up on January 19, 1952. With this began the mission of NAB as an icon of unlimited services for the blind.

VISION Empowered and well informed blind population of India working for the personal growth and development, thereby leading life to its optimum potential.

MISSION To prevent blindness as far as possible. To empower the blind with education and training. To obtain self-sufficiency through employment/ self- employment, thus integrating them with dignity in mainstream society.

MILESTONES In 1954, The World Council for the welfare of the blind (WCWB) accepted NAB as its accredited member representing India with membership of six delegates. NAB started the first ever braille production unit in India in the NGO sector. NAB introduced for the first time in India a full-fledged centre for production and distribution of educational and recreational literature for the blind, by establishing the TALKING BOOK STUDIOS & LIBRARY. To promote rehabilitation, education, training, employment and economic growth of blind women the NAB COMMITTEE FOR ADVANCEMENT OF THE STATUS OF BLIND WOMEN was constituted. NAB collaborates with Microsoft Corporation, USA to set-up the first ever cyber caf for the blind, at its headquarters in Mumbai.

NAB CENTERS IN DELHI RK Puram Sector -5 L-25, Hauz Khas

ACTIVITIES

Prevention of Blindness
They started projects to detect and treat glaucoma, cataract and conjunctivitis and provide medication and spectacles to children in slums and municipal schools and adult belonging to the financially backward sections of the society. The trained staff examines eyes of the target groups with the help of mobile ophthalmic vans that are equipped with state-of-theart ophthalmic devices. In this direction, Project DRISHTI was launched in 2004.

Education
Special schools for blind were set-up across the country. Blind children for the most part stayed in these institutions and received education along with some elementary trades that led them to some kind of vocational rehabilitation, later. Initiatives such as distribution of Braille kits, providing scholarships and loans, computer training centres and home based education program for Multi Disabled Visually Impaired.

Talking Books
Initially the Centre recorded on spools, English, Gujarati, Hindi and Marathi magazines, books of general interest and textbooks for college students, which blind users listened to on huge multi-track players that NAB provided them. fNow recording is carried out in two shifts, churning out books on cassettes and CDs in several Indian languages besides English.

Braille Press
NAB has conventional as well as modern braille press. These print textbooks of all subjects - including Maths and Science - for English and Marathi medium students of Class I to XII. In addition, visually impaired students pursuing higher education also get many of their books, notes, reference materials, etc. converted in Braille, through the Braille Press. Literature printed at the Braille Press is made available to the visually impaired at highly subsidized cost (1/4th of its production cost), which is noteworthy.

Vocational Training
With the help of Industrial Development Bank of India, NAB (I) in 1985 established this technical training institute, to impart on-the-job advanced training in engineering and mass production techniques, to blind youth.

Employment
The NGO plays a major role in helping the visually impaired find suitable employment, by working closely with visually impaired persons and liaising with companies in both public and private sector, to give the blind opportunity to get into the work force. Employment options are categorized in terms of Open Employment, Self-Employment and Sheltered Employment.

FUNDING OF THE NGO:

NAB is not affiliated to the government and hence does not receive any government aid. The only source of funding is through individuals, clubs and associations, both in kind and monetary. The management staff keeps a track of the requirements of the NGO and then writes to its donors regarding the same. For example in the Hauz Khas centre, Microsoft installed a computer lab. All the computers were equipped with the various softwares, that have been especially developed for the visually impaired, eg JAWS, e-txt, etc Also they do projects for different organizations and the money from that also contributes as financial help. For example, currently, the disabilities centre is doing a project for America India Foundation.

POSITIVES OF NAB:
NAB is known to use technology in a big way in order to make the lives of the blind people easier. One of their commendable initiatives in this field is that of the provision of providing NOKIA C5 cell phones to individuals at a low cost. This cell phone is a very useful gadget for the blind persons as it supports software basically for the blind persons. They provide free and fully licensed software especially for the visually impaired e.g. JAWS,ETXT, etc. It provides a support system for those who have been shunned by their family. The environment at NAB promotes independence among the visually impaired. They promote capacity building through various activities. NAB has a special centre for woman where there are hostel facilities for them. NAB also helps them in getting jobs so that they are not dependent on others. They help the students by getting their books scanned and converted into Braille.

NEGATIVES OF NAB:
The scanning and conversion takes a long time as compared to when done at the personal level. Logistics and infrastructure available at NAB are not in line with the burgeoning demand for its services.

SUCCESS STORIES:
REENA BHATIA
She became blind after being affected with a medical complication in 2nd year of her graduation. While at the centre, she cleared her CPT Entrance Exam for C.A. and is doing her articleship in a C.A. firm.

RITU JAIN
A multiply handicapped girl working with open mind vendor, Bharti Retail.

GOMA RAI
A totally blind girl (since the age of three) from Nepal, resumed her studies with the help of the centre and today has been able to get through IIM.

NUPUR
With computer training and a graduate degree in LSR, passed through MBA from Mumbai and found a job with Wipro.

ARMA SHARMA
An MBA, working as a probationary officer with IDBI bank, Gurgaon

SOME TECHNOLOGIES FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED

JAWS (an acronym for Job Access With Speech) is a screen reader, a software program for visually impaired users, produced by the Blind and Low Vision Group at Freedom Scientific of St. Petersburg, Florida, USA. Its purpose is to make personal computers using Microsoft Windows accessible to blind and visually impaired users. It accomplishes this by providing the user with access to the information displayed on the screen via text-to-speech or by means of Braille display and allows for comprehensive keyboard interaction with the computer.

Digital Accessible Information System, or DAISY, is a means of creating digital talking books for people who wish to hearand navigatewritten material presented in an audible format. Using DAISY, a talking book format is presented with enabled navigation within a sequential and hierarchical structure consisting of (marked-up) text synchronized with audio.

The Ultracane is a new electronic mobility aid that might look like the old white cane for visuallyimpaired people but adds a remarkable array of technology to enable the person to see objects around them. It works exactly the same way that bats "see" using ultrasonic echoes to provide users with the ability to "feel" objects in their environment through the cane's vibrations.

Bus Identification and Homing System for the Visually Challenged MOTIVATION
For the visually challenged individuals, public transport is the only viable mobility option. In the bus transport system, the route number is generally displayed on the front top panel of the bus. Thus a visually challenged person has to rely on a fellow traveller to obtain the route number of the bus. The situation gets difficult at less-frequently used bus stops where the person might be alone. Also the user would like to know about all the buses that arrive at the bus stop so as to make a choice between them. It is commonly observed that a number of buses arrive together and line up arbitrarily at the bus stop. Thus, even after identification the user cannot navigate towards the bus since he/she is unsure about its physical location. At present there is no affordable solution that can be effectively applied in developing countries.

SYSTEM DESCRIPTION
This device consists of two modules: (i) USER MODULE, carried by the user, (ii) BUS MODULE, placed at the entry of each bus. Once the user hears a bus approaching the bus stop, he presses the QUERY button on the User Module which transmits a radio-frequency (RF) signal to all the buses in the vicinity. Each bus module responds by transmitting its route number. All numbers received are sequentially spoken out by the user module.

"'501. - 620. " The user selects the bus number of interest by pressing the Select Button after that number is read out. This triggers voice output of the bus number from the entry of the selected bus that acts as an auditory cue and assists the person in moving towards the gate of the bus.

USER MODULE
Comfortable size for hand-held operation. Self contained RF antenna and speaker. Easily locatable and usable Query and Select buttons. Powered by rechargeable Li-ion batteries. Optional provision for a mono earphone. Braille markings to locate buttons.

BUS MODULE
Self contained RF and Voice Output Module. The unit hinges easily on the window railing. Voice output easily heard 15m away despite ambient noise. Indication to the driver. Protection against rain. Connects easily to bus battery. In built voltage regulation.

FEATURES
PRE SELECTION MODE: User can enter and store the route number of buses that he or she frequently boards. Once the user presses the selection button, an auditory cue is produced from the entry of the bus if its route number is present in the preferred set of route numbers. AUTO QUERY MODE: The device automatically scans for route numbers and informs the user about the buses approaching the bus stop. SYSTEM CONTROL: The system is entirely user controlled. No extra burden on the bus driver. BUS MODULE INSTALLATION: Can be retrofitted onto the existing bus with minimal installation costs. RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES: User module runs on rechargeable Li-ion batteries like a mobile phone. PROGRAMMING UNIT: This unit allows the depot manager to assign the current route number to the bus. LANGUAGE INDEPENDENT DEVICE: Voice output is based on pre-recorded samples. Hence one can record in any language and dialect. SUITABLE FOR THE INDIAN TRAFFIC SCENARIO: Minimal installation cost for buses. The system can operate in scenarios where multiples buses can arrive together and line-up arbitrarily on the bus stop. Useful for Senior citizens also.

CURRENT STATUS
The system has been installed on two IIT buses and tested on four real bus stops in Delhi. Users with prior training were able to board the buses successfully. Four visually challenged users had participated in this trial. The system has been tested by 20 users from the National Association for the Blind, New Delhi, at a small bus stop inside IIT. All individuals were successfully able to select and reach the entry of the bus. The feedback was extremely positive from the volunteers.

USER TESTIMONIALS
At present, it is very difficult to identify the right bus. I always have to ask someone at the bus stop to inform me when my bus arrives. Often people do not help or if they agree, still at times they leave without informing and I keep waiting. Generally I miss my bus 4-5 times every day. Sometimes, I board the wrong bus and get lost in the city. This system developed by IIT Delhi gives me total independence in accessing buses. The auditory cues from the bus gate are extremely useful. Earlier, I used to move in the direction of the engine sound, often landing in front of the bus. It was very dangerous. Now, I am much more confident and less tense at the bus stop. Mr. Sandeep, National Association for the Blind This is a great easy-to-use system. It solves my everyday problem. With this device I can finally start reaching my college on time. All by myself. Thank you very much. Ms. Kaveri, Centre for Blind Women

USER SURVEYS
As a part of the Offline trials, a questionnaire was prepared and was filled by the visually impaired, in order to get their viewpoints on this technology. It covered various aspects, ranging from their interaction with technology to their experience while boarding a bus. The task of getting these questionnaires filled by the inhabitants and the staff of NAB was assigned to volunteers (the part where we got involved).

RESULTS
More than 60% of the users need some helper at the stop. More than 40% of the users feel they need some device to differentiate between buses and other vehicles and to know the bus number. More than 55% of the above category feels the need of device is much greater during the night time.

FUTURE PLAN
The next phase is conducting a pilot trial on public buses in Delhi. The trial would be for a period of one month and involve about 10 buses with 30 visually challenged bus commuters. They are also identifying an industry partner for developing prototypes for the field trial stage.

Q & A : SPECIFIC TO THE PROJECT:

Q. How it all began? What is the history behind the project? Why did they decide to work on such a project? What was their objective? Answer: The need for the project came from the simple observation of inconvenience that a blind person has to go through while boarding a bus. From recognizing the bus number to getting on the bus without any accident was a success story for them. So in order to make their day-to-day commute more comfortable, this project was visualized. Q. How did they decide where they will implement the project? How have they been working with the people? What are the methods they are using to implement the project? What kinds of problems they face while implementing the project among the people? Answer: In order to implement the Project, the Organization needed the help of a technical team which could make such a module which could help a blind person in boarding a bus. The search for such help ended as they came in contact with a group called ASSISSITECH in IIT Delhi. This particular group of students and Professors are known for their work in the area of making physically disable people more self-reliant through the use of technology. The module was prepared. It was implemented in two of IITs buses and volunteers from NAB checked for its efficiency. It was found during the trials that the blind persons were not so comfortable handling electrical devices. Thus in order to make the device more userfriendly and to note the needs and requirements for such a device among the visually disabled people, a survey was conducted (which has been attached). The survey tries to get a feedback from the blind persons on various matters like their interaction with technology, their source of information in a bus-stop, mobility constraints, etc. We joined them in helping the blind persons in filling up this survey. The problem is basically is regarding how to make the module more user friendly so that it can be used by anyone. Moreover, in the long run, if the project is implemented on a greater scale, ensuring its implementation in every bus is an issue. Who will bear the cost of the module on behalf of the bus-owner is another question that comes to mind. Q. Who is funding this project? What about the issue of sustainability? Answer: Presently, the project is funded by IIT Delhi and NAB. It is at trial stage at present so funding required is not that big but once it grows in size, more funding will be required for which we can look to the Government or to different organizations. Large scale manufacturing of the modules can be taken up. This may be done in collaboration with the industry. There has been a proposal to pitch for this project to industries as part of their corporate social responsibility.

Q. What people think about it? How far they believe the NGO has benefited them? Is there any mismatch between what the NGO says and what the people say about the development project? Answer: The general perception amongst the participants of the trials and the survey has been positive. They all are looking forward to the module provided the inputs that have been given by them are incorporated in the design. The numbers of iterations being done are impressive. It is done in order to plug any loop hole.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE : ARUSHI AGARWAL

Before going to NAB, I had a very different image of the visually impaired. I thought they lived a life of misery, always dependent on other people for support. They would have big glasses and a stick in their hand. But, after going there, my opinion has completely changed. They are just like us. Ms Reena, the caretaker, who herself is visually impaired showed me through the place. It was unbelievable. She knew every corner of the place, where she was placing her foot on. The Hauz Khas center of NAB is especially for women. I interacted with Ms Meena. She is currently working as a receptionist at NAB. It was amazing to see her confidence, the way she expresses herself. A girl from Sikkim, blind by birth, and now she has adapted herself so beautifully in this new environment. She works so efficiently, uses technology at her will and her typing speed is much faster than many of us. Besides shouldering the responsibility of a receptionist, she also did her schooling and learned Braille in her free time. My misconceptions that they wouldnt be able to use technology or clear competitive exams completely changed. Ms Reena has already completed her CPT. I also met Ms Rashmi. I was to read out some chapters regarding time management to her. She also told me about her daily schedule which included learning Braille, practicing on computers, spa training and studying. I realized how hectic schedule they followed. Ms Karuna, who also handles the management, told me about the fundings of the NGO and how girls, even from far off places (like Sikkim and Manipal) have come to this rehabilitation center. She also talked about the positive changes the bus ID project would bring and how it will increase the comfort-ability level in using public transport. Ms Reena talked to me regarding the importance of technology and how it single-handedly can make a visually impaired individual competent and capable. She also talked on her love for travelling and shopping. It was a fun experience talking to all these women. Even the working staff of NAB is visually impaired. It is very interesting to note that, individually these people are dependent but together, they form a self-sufficient unit. They live in a hostel, which supports 25 residents and they manage almost everything for their

living. The kitchen was so organized and well managed by them. They live like a family, where everyone has certain responsibilities and everyone is treated with a lot of dignity and respect. I feel that, since it is a center which supports only women, the residents are more comfortable. They do not hesitate and speak their hearts out, expressing themselves very freely. NAB has volunteers from various fields of work especially the student community. I taught Sushila about life skills. Basically they are taught how to manage time efficiently and live life on a day-to-day basis. Finally, I would like to quote a line by Reena didi NAB is a home away from home

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE : SIDDHARTHA DAS

All of us remain so busy with our lives that we hardly have the time to contribute to the society. The project gave me an opportunity to do the same. It was a long standing desire of mine to help the needy in whatever way possible I can but had never got the opportunity and the time to do so. I visited the NAB Center around 3-4 times. During my stay there, I interacted with a number of people there, those running the center, the beneficiaries, etc. Our work was basically to fill the survey forms of the Bus identification System being developed by IIT Delhi in collaboration with NAB. It was an experience altogether interacting with these marvelous people. They made sure that their handicap should never let them down and thus worked hard and put it in more effort. Of all the people that I interviewed, a person whom I enjoyed interviewing most was HUKUM SINGH PARMAR. He works as a peon at the NAB RK Puram center. The 1st thing that amazed me about him was how well he knows the place. If you take him anywhere in the center and ask him to come to this particular place in the campus, he will reach there. He has this ability of touch, by touching any object in his vicinity he can say where he is. It is rightly said that if you lose one of your sensory organs your other sensory organs make up for it. He very easily navigates through the campus and locate each and every file. He was my tour guide when I visited the center first. Interviewing him was also a fun experience. The way he told his story was heart-warming, the accident that made him blind, the daily struggles that he had to put up to. The blindness prevented him from pursuing any education. He joined NAB many years ago. They helped him in his mobility as a result of which he could traverse the whole of campus. He is yet to learn Braille script. While filling up the questionnaire I asked him how comfortable is he using the mobile, he said that he knew where the numbers were and had remembered some important numbers so that he can call them up whenever necessary.

Regarding queries about bus stops, boarding a bus, etc, he replied with wit and humor. Arey bhaiyya aaj kal to sham-shaan ghat mein bhi bheed badh gayi hai, bus stop toh choti cheez hai ! Kuch bhale log sahi bus pe chada dete hai aur kuch bhale log galat bus par, lekin mujh ko unse koi shikayat nahi hai. Mein toh bhai delhi ki ser kar leta hun, pareshani toh mere gahr wallon ko hoti hai! Mere ko toh who purani DTC buses sahi lagti hai! Itni shor karti hai ki pata chal jaata hai ki aa rahihai. Nayi walli toh bina shor machaye aati hai aur leke nikal leti hai, tayaari karne ka mauka hi nahi milta!! His blindness has prevented his mobility in a big way. The only route that he travels is from his home to the center and back. He needs help while boarding and de-boarding and very jokingly quips that Ek baar haath bhi tut gaya tha mera!! He believes that a module like the onethat is being made by IIT will help him in a big way. Moreover, it will also ease the burden on his family as well. The man was so cheerful and jolly that he never came much prominence to the tragedy in his life. The same goes for the other people whom I have interviewed. All of them are full of energy. They dont look at their blindness as a source of pity instead they have taken it up as a challenge and doing whatever is required to overcome it. They all had nice things to say about NAB. They constantly re-iterated the fact that NAB played a very important role in making them independent, by instilling in them a belief that they are in no way inferior to others. They spoke highly about the various projects conducted by the NAB. They had a very high praise for the teaching methodology adopted by the NAB. They were very thankful to NAB for the computer education that they had provided to them. The people with whom I interacted with were appreciative of the fact that NAB introduced technology in their lives in a way that it helped them a lot. Be it computers, the daisy reader, the NOKIA C5 phone. Also, they were very excited about the bus identification system project. They believed that it was a good initiative as it would help them in their day-to-day commute. The day-to-day activities at the center were handled by blind persons and it worked like clock- work. The brilliant co-ordination and enthusiasm of the employee was very encouraging.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE : SANCHIT JAIN

I am always keen to serve the society and the whole idea of getting assosciated with NGOs appeals a lot to me. This project provided me an opportunity to volunteer in helping the visually impaired. I went to both the Hauz Khas center and the RK Puram center. The Hauz Khas center is basically a hostel cum rehabilitation center especially for the blind women whereas the RK Puram center is primarily a computer training center and a blind school.

The thing that amazed me was that inside the center, the people handling the management work were also either partially sighted or fully unsighted. It was interesting to see them working as a team. Each and everyone of them knew every inch and corner of the place. They knew exactly where a particular thing or place was. From receptionist to the peon, every job was done by them only. Another remarkable thing was their comfort level with computers. They worked only with the keyboard, no mouse and their typing speed was amazing. The first person I interacted with was Ishant Rajput, a class 12th student who came to the RK Puram center for tuitions and computer training every afternoon. He lost his eyesight when he was in class 10th. He was a little hesitant to talk at first so I used the questionnaire as a medium to make him more comfortable. He told me about his family, his school, his friends. He also told me about the problems that he faces while travelling and using public transport. Kabhi sahi bus mein bhi chadte hai toh bhi bus driver keh deta hai ki aap galat bus mein chad gaye, sahi bus piche aa rhi hai. Unhe hume le jaana musibat lagti hai Bus pe chad toh jaise taise jaate hai. Utarne mein jyaada dikkat hoti hai. Pata hi nahi chalta ki kab bus ruk gayi hai and kab chal rahi hai. Kabhi chalti bus se utar jaate hai toh chot bhi lag jaati hai Another common problem that he pointed out was that when they try to seek the help of public, the people usually respond by nodding their heads and walk away. Such a cue is useless for a visually impaired person. He also told me many stories of how he sometimes bunked school and went with his friends to malls in gurgaon. The best part was when he held my hand and showed me around the center. He knew exactly where every place was and who would be sitting there. I also met Tanmay Jain. He lost his vision 7 yrs ago in an accident, while in IP college. Presently he had completed his B.Ed degree. He was motivating another individual Anuj, who had just recently lost his vision. He told me about how technology is the most important thing that helps them in competing in this world. His skill in using mobile phone and laptop was remarkable. He told me about a software that acts as a screen reader and is compatible with Nokia C5. He said that it takes him time to register the bus number in his mind. So sometimes he also misses the bus. The new buses green and red ones, are more helpful as the number is displayed in large font, he said. At the Hauz Khas center I met Ms Reena and Ms Karuna who were responsible for the mangament and functioning of the center. Both have only partial sightedness, yet their confidence and determination is very strong. Ms Karuna told me how the women undergo specialize training for life skills. With the use of white cane and mind mapping they are taught various mobility techniques. She also told me about JAWS, screen reader software

that is compatible with Windows. It speaks whichever key you press and the location of the cursor. Ms Reena talked about how an individual loses his/her confidence, in the case of late blindness. She herself is a late blind person and has been through all the depression and stress. Yet she made herself strong enough and successfully cleared CPT. As I was told, visually impaired people find jobs in handicraft export industry & as spa and health trainers apart from computer related jobs. I was also asked to scan a book. The scanned pdf would then be recorded and played in a daisy player. Besides this, I also helped a girl in filling her JNU admission form. The other tasks that volunteers do include reading out various course and text books, book editing (checking the soft copy of the book with the hard copy for spelling mistakes and other errors). Over all it was a fun experience. I enjoyed every moment and interacted with as many people I could. They have a very tight and hectic schedule which keeps them busy and occupied. The visits were very inspiring, how even after losing one of the senses, they strengthen their other senses and fight hard for a living and to become independent and self-sufficient.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE : PRAKHAR JAIN.

In my 4 years of college life I had thought that I had seen everything there is to life. How wrong I was. This wrong notion of mine came tumbling down when I had my interview with Anuj Goyal. A small town guy who a few days ago was enjoying life, pursuing graduation when disaster struck. A particular genetic problem turned him blind in less than 3 months. This was 8 months back. The first few months were hard for him as he tried to come to terms to his state of affairs. But gradually he made up his mind that he can not live his life in despair and self-pity. He needed to do something in order to give a new meaning to his life. So he sat out to Delhi where he knew were institutions which could help him, Thus he came to NAB. Here he was provided with the much needed counseling which helped him to tide over his tragedy. Presently he has been learning how to make his daily life easy through the sense of sound and touch. He still can see shadows of objects in front of him. He uses this in order to cross roads and get into buses. This is very inspiring. He recently bought a NOKIA C5 phone and has been learning how to use it. The people at the NAB are helping in this. Anuj wants to continue with his education and get his degree. For this, NAB is helping him by getting his books, notes, etc converted into Braille. He is also learning Braille and finding it to be a fun experience. The zeal and struggle of this man is an example for others like him. He is also trying to use computers in this new scenario and is being helped by the people of NAB for the same.

CONCLUSION
All in all, this project was a learning experience for all of us. It taught us the quality of how handling a sensitive issue. It also made us aware of the plight of the people and the steps being taken by organisation and individuals they in order to overcome them. The opportunity to work with an NGO like NAB was also an experience for us. Thus we had a nice time working on this project and it was a great learning experience altogether.