- Raised Lines Foundation (RLF), a non-profit start-up incubated at IIT Delhi launched a ‘Tactile STEM Learning Kit’ for visually impaired children
The kit includes a GEOMKIT developed in partnership with Vistrit Gyan; a Mathematics Geometry Encyclopedia developed in partnership with XRCVC, Mumbai; a Science Primer developed in partnership with Saksham Trust; and JoJ0 blocks developed in partnership with Microsoft Research, Bengaluru, India.
With this launch, perhaps for the first time, the visually impaired in India would have access to STEM learning material and kits on par with the best in the world, Prof. M. Balakrishnan, Chairman, RLF, said.
JoJo blocks are tangible toys that enable children with vision impairments to absorb concepts of numeracy through play.
“The Jojo blocks were conceptualised at Microsoft Research as part of their ludic design methodology and engineered to perfection by RLF: attractive, rugged, and low cost, Dr. Manohar Swaminathan, Principal Researcher, Ludic Design for Accessibility, said.
RLF is a Section 8, not-for-profit, 80G, and 12A certified organisation established with the sole aim of empowering people with visual impairment through education and independent mobility.
RLF is the first non-profit start-up incubated at IIT Delhi and is based on the know-how developed through four years of research undertaken at the Center of Excellence (CoE) in Tactile Graphics. This CoE, as well as RLF’s incubation for translation into products, was sponsored by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) of the Government of India.
RLF’s goal is to provide high-quality, affordable learning and support materials for visually impaired learners. RLF converts standard textbooks, manuals and resource books, with a focus on STEM books, into an accessible format incorporating tactile diagrams that visually impaired students can comprehend. The key objective is to enable students with visual impairments to pursue a career of their choice.
