The visually impaired community has urged the State government to reconsider its decision, as announced in the recent State Budget, to provide smart vision glasses under the assistive devices project.
Terming it a “waste of resources”, Raghuraman Kalyanraman, assistant professor, Government Arts College, Nandanam, said, “The smart vision glasses only provide what we already have through free apps. It’s much faster and works better for us as everything is voice technology enabled. To spend ₹40,000 on a pair is a waste.”
Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu, in his Budget speech in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, had announced a project to provide assistive devices, including Smart Vision Glasses, to improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities. The smart vision glasses help a visually impaired person read a print book, navigate roads by scanning for objects after taking pictures, and also utilises maps.
Stating that move is not in the interest of the community, Aranga Raja, president of the College Students and Graduates Association of the Blind (CSGAB), said every organisation had been advocating for a laptop for the visually challenged, and the government’s move does not help the community.
Mr. Raghuraman said no person now read braille. “We use the Optical Character Recognition software to convert text to read. We use maps, we use other apps that help us navigate life far better than these glasses would. If the glasses break or its sensors stop working when water touches it, there is no way we would know. Supplying a laptop for students from Class VI will be of better use as it would help prepare us for life and other tasks,” he added.
Published – March 16, 2025 01:24 am IST