The Ministry of Science and Technology has come up with a comprehensive Braille atlas to help the nearly 50 lakh visually-challenged people in the country, especially students.
Each atlas, which will cost nearly ₹600, will include 20 maps on different themes — physical, socio-economic, river system, crop pattern, natural vegetation, cultural, metropolitan areas, and roads and railways.
Attention to detail
“This is the first time that a comprehensive atlas has been prepared for the visually-challenged with attention to minute details. The atlas has been developed in Hindi and English by the National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organisation (NATMO), Kolkata,” said Tapti Banerjee, NATMO director.
Made using indigenously developed silk-screen painting technology, the atlas was released by Union Minister for Science and Technology Harsh Vardhan on Friday. According to Mr. Vardhan, the government intended to give some free copies to institutes teaching visually impaired students.
Tactile maps
The maps are embossed with simple lines and point symbols while the area coverage is easily distinguishable in terms of shapes and textures. The NATMO, meanwhile, was awarded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at this year’s Indian Science Congress held at Tirupati. It has also prepared Braille maps for West Bengal and Meghalaya in Bengali and English, respectively. Also, the institute has also been asked to come up with State maps in English and regional languages by Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Gujarat.
