Empowering Individuals With Visual Impairment: A Digital Braille Solution for Learning the Urdu Language

In today’s digital era, smartphones have become an integral part of education and learning. The unification of smart devices with assistive technologies such as screen readers, voice-based navigation, and object detection, including the use of wearable devices, has significantly enhanced the abilities of individuals with disabilities. Despite these advancements, there is a notable gap in the realm of comprehensive and indigenous digital learning apps tailored for individuals with visual impairments. Traditional education for visually impaired students heavily relies on the Braille system, which required extensive training and continuous support from educators and professionals. This dependency poses a significant barrier to the availability of dedicated learning environments for this specific demographic. Addressing this challenge, our research proposes a digital solution named “Chasham” designed around the Braille system, specifically tailored for the Urdu language. This innovative solution involves mapping Braille codes to their corresponding Urdu alphabets and letters. Incorporating voice output further facilitates users in identifying typed letters and words. The Chasham includes various quizzes and exercises to assess and enhance student learning skills. To ensure the effectiveness and usability of the proposed solution, a 3-week user study was conducted involving 50 visually impaired students to evaluate Chasham’s usability and validity. The preliminary results of this study are promising and indicate a positive impact on student learning experiences. This research represents a significant step towards filling the void in comprehensive digital learning tools for visually impaired individuals, particularly in the context of education. Integrating the Braille system into a digital learning environment for the Urdu language is a novel and thoughtful approach. It leverages technology to overcome traditional barriers and enhance the learning experience.