This special school launched a picture-based app for the speech impaired
A picture-based mobile application will now be able to help speech impaired and differently-abled children in learning through augmentative and alternative communication.
The app, named 'Vaakya', was launched by a school in Noida. The application is immensely helpful for persons who are speech impaired, affected by autism, cerebral palsy, and various other mental and physical conditions, Director of Mata Bhagwanti Chadha Niketan, Vandana Sharma said.
According to a PTI report, she said that it is an augmentative and alternative communication tool and can also be used during rehabilitation. The app creates a combination of custom images and phrases, which can be related to an individual user in order to effectively communicate, she said adding that it does not rely on internet connectivity and utilises the phone's own memory only.
The app will be available for free download from February 16, she said.
With Vaakya, our mission is to give the specially-abled a tool to communicate efficiently and make them independent and self-reliant, Vandana said.
The school, run by the Ponty Chadha Foundation, is one of the largest schools in India for the differently-abled.
According to a Hindustan Times report, the school has also integrated an e-commerce portal with its website. The website — www.mbcnschool.org — allows customers to buy products made as part of the school's vocational training programme, Swayam. A series of handmade products including wedding gifts, packaging items, office stationery, and paper bags are sold. These products are soon to be available online for purchase. Product details such as price, size, and other specifications have been mentioned along with customers’ reviews. This initiative also helps students get a stipend for the hours they spend on their skill as encouragement for their hard work and give them a sense of economic independence.
