News

Volume 7 Issue 6 - March 15, 2010

Braille codes to be developed in tribal languages in the North East

D.N.I.S. News Network, India: There is a piece of good news for the blind community in the North East. A project is in the offing to develop Braille codes in local tribal languages. Blind and visually impaired students who want to write the examinations in their mother tongue will now be able to do so once the Braille script is developed.

The project being funded by the Braille Council of India is a result of a proposal by the National Institute for the Visually Handicapped, Dehradun. Bertha Dkhar of Bethany Society (N.C.P.E.D.P.’s state partner), Shillong will be coordinating the project. She has already conducted a postal survey of schools in the region likely to benefit from this scheme, the report of which has been sent to the institute at Dehradun. “Once the project is sanctioned, I will tour all the states of the North East to develop Braille in their respective mother tongues,” Bertha said.

It may be mentioned that Bertha was instrumental in developing the Khasi Braille, a tribal language of Meghalaya.