CREATIVITY SPECIAL ................Awesome New Ideas For A Better Tomorrow (9)- A Menu For The Visually Impaired

Awesome New Ideas For A Better Tomorrow (9)- A Menu For The Visually Impaired

Life-saving gadgets, safer ways to travel, solutions for sanitation and cost-effective answers to everyday problems… India has a host of good ideas just waiting to explode. See what’s bubbling under

We scouted the length and breadth of the country to find the brightest innovations. The list continues

9. A Menu For The Visually Impaired

IDEA: A restaurant menu that reads itself out to those who have problems with their sight

BRAINCHILD OF: The Xavier’s Resource Centre for the Visually Challenged (XRCVC)

First off, it’s written in Braille. But if that’s still a challenge for a diner, that’s no problem. The menu is also audio-labelled, which means a stylus-like device reads out the text when it touches the menu. Don’t want to trouble fellow diners? Just use the headphones that come with it. “It’s all about promoting accessibility,” says Dr Sam Taraporevala the director of XRCVC. All a restaurant needs to do is adapt their own menus to this format so visually challenged diners (even weak-eyed grandparents) have less trouble ordering. Of course there’s a bonus for you too: you’ll finally know how to pronounce ratatouille (rat-ahtoo-ee), gnocchi (noh-kee) and quesadilla (key-suh-dee-uh)!

STATUS:

Right now, only Mumbai restaurant chain Bombay Blue uses the technology. But XRCVC plans to make sure other restaurants follow suit soon. They are also going to use the software to make books, maps and diagrams more accessible.

HTBR141130 TO CONTINUE