India launches online library with over 2 lakh books for persons with print disabilities

Reading has become easier for persons with print disabilities. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has recently announced Sugamaya Pustakalaya, an online library where books are made available in accessible formats for people with visual impairment and other print disabilities.

The library has over 2 lakh books in diverse languages and and multiple accessible formats. Created by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) and the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in collaboration with member organisations of Daisy Forum of India (DFI) and powered by TCS Access, the books of the library can be accessed by print-disabled members registered with one of the member DFI organisations.

The books can be read on any device — mobile phones, tablets, computers, DAISY players, and even in Braille using refreshable displays. Persons with print disabilities can also request for Braille copies through member organisations that have Braille presses, the release said.

Becoming a member of DFI is easy. Universities, schools, public libraries, publishers, NGOs, and corporates can all participate and contribute towards making more books accessible and increasing the reach of the library. The IT industry can contribute with technology development to fill gaps in authoring and reading of digital content in all Indian languages.

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