The Ministry of Education and Training, in coordination with the US organisation USAID and CRS, organised a workshop on “Piloting text-to-speech software, screen-reading software for people with visual impairments and video recordings of lessons for deaf pupils in grade 5”.
This is one component of the project “Strengthening access to and quality of inclusive education for children with disabilities through information technology”.
Under this project, the research team from the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (AILab) of the University of Science, Viet Nam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, was chosen to develop and integrate the Southern Voice text-to-speech software with the open-source NVDA screen reader.
With funding from USAID, CRS and the Ministry of Education and Training, the AILab has developed new Vietnamese screen-reading software, upgraded from the Southern Voice version – third prize at the 2009 Vietnamese Talent Awards – with more advanced features, including: providing reading voices for all 3 regions: North, Central and South, with naturalness and intonation, the ability to read abbreviations and foreign words, and to change reading speed…
As planned, in November and December this new software will be piloted in 4 localities: Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Quang Binh and Ho Chi Minh City, before being rolled out widely so that pupils with visual impairments across the country can access computers.
V.H.Q