About Us

The society supports the Information  poorest. The free and open source  software skid and the Vibrations series for the deaf-blind are examples of this.

The society organizes training programmes on cutting-edge technologies like, Ruby on Rails  with the aim of enhancing skid software and vibration series for deaf-blind, with useful modules and new apps. The society promotes participation of persons with disabilities and siblings of them in the programme, which makes the activity sustainable.

The society also addresses the cause of persons with disabilities by keeping a track of the limited communication support tools available for them in the country.
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Read our
 Aims and Objectives
and
Meet our Members

Know more about our journey throughthese 2 short videos
how a child with cerebral palsy can communicate via a wheel

and

making software writing for
the mentally challenges sustainable

To watch more videos

Announcements

Bapsi's Project "Smartphones for the Deaf Blind"

We have successfully finished our project “Smart Phones for the Deaf-Blind”, which was supported by a grant from isif.asia.  Please read BAPSI’s Technical report


Bapsi bags ISIF Asia Grant 2013 for its innovative project for the deaf-blind

Bapsi is one of the ISIF Asia Grant 2013 winners. Its project proposal on use of “Smartphones for the Deaf Blind” has been accepted. With this, Bapsi seeks to help train few person who are both deaf and blind their caregivers to use technology and be able to communicate independently. This project will include provide free phones to users if necessary.

To read the news at the ISIF Asia's website, click here

PocketSMS “SMS for those both deaf and blind”

The short film on the mobile application PocketSMS “SMS for those both deaf and blind” won Jury Special Award at the We Care Film Festival (Disability Film Festival) in 2012. The film is about the use of phones to help the deaf-blind send and receive SMS independently using a special software called PocketSMS. The software makes use of the vibrations of a phone, morse code and gesture based hand writing recognition to help the person write and read an SMS. Visit the Awards Page here.

Watch the documentary film here. 

The Vibrations series of Mobile Apps for the Deaf-blind was a Finalist at the Vodafone Mobiles for Good Award 2012.

The idea of “Marketing mobile phones to those for whom mobiles don't work today” was a winner with special mention at the mBillionth Award South Asia, year 2012

Press Releases


08 August 2012 Bapsi's revolutionary technology for the deaf-blind gets recognition


28 May 2012 No investigation on Chinese hacking of sensitive Indian government computers
RTI News
We sent an RTI query dated 25-08-2011 to the National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities. In this we asked questions on services and plans for services for  persons who are both deaf and blind, in  compliance to the UNCPRD.

The reply was received on 21-09-2011, which said "The National Trust has already initiated the process for making NT Act in consonance with the UNCRPD. Secondly all schemes and programmes which are implemented at aimed at benefitting the four disabilities. Any of the schemes which is relevant to people with deaf-blindness can avail so under multiple disabilities category. The various data asked in the queries is not available with us."

Visit RTI Page

What we do?


A Technical Helping Hand
This video describes Bapsi's work in developing free technology for persons with multiple disabilities. Unique in our approach is that we develop solutions for individuals. We work mostly in Mumbai and Delhi.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1u8fViBgDE&feature=youtu.be

Software for the disabled
Bapsi has been producing software for children with mental challenges, persons with severe disabilities and multiple disabilities. It started with developing eLocutor for prof. Stephen Hawking. We have developed skid software for kids with mental challenges and severe disabilities. The mobile apps under Vibration series are to help the deafblind communicate using a smartphone.

In order to make the process of producing software for the disabled sustainable we request technology students to undertake summer Internship with us on these innovative projects. The software thus produced is made available for free. The training is free of cost.

Workshops
We organize workshops for children, teachers, IT professionals. In "ICT workshops" we help children with mental challenges use computers to play, learn and communicate. In "music workshops" we help children benefit from singing. In "One-sense-at-a-time" workshops we focus on technologies and tools related to one sense only to reduce information overload, leaving plenty of opportunity to pour creativity onto a basic framework

Policy Advocacy
Through the use of Right to Information we collect information on status of mental challenges in India, telecom issues affecting the information poorest. Our aim is to collect and share information, in order to influence policies for better facilities and services for persons with mental challenges, and better technology that allows people in the remotest areas to bi-directionally access information.

We started Open Spectrum Campaign to advocate opening up of the Very High Frequency broadcast spectrum for both commercial and community TV, as well as broadband data via cognitive radio to take advantage of gaps in transmission. Watch video "Why open Spectrum?" and be a part of the Campaign.

ED Roberts Award
Ed Roberts Award is offered to a mentally challenged child who shows extraordinary zeal to communicate using computers. The Award constitutes a communication device, pre-loaded with customized skid software and an appropriate input device for the child. Arpit Khansili is the 1st recipient of the Award, in 2009.

 

To seek advice on using technology for children with mental challenges, persons with severe disabilities, to submit interesting information regarding policies and services for mentally challenged, or, to share any such information, contact us.