IT city? Not for the disabled
Visually impaired people can stand on their feet and make strides in every field, but when it comes to accessing a govt website, they stumble
Farheen Hussain
Posted On Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 12:26:46 AM
The government of IT city has neither the time nor the inclination to make its websites accessible to the disabled.
Just ask Tony Kurian, a bright, 21-year-old student of Christ University. Kurian scored more than 90 per cent in both his tenth and PU board exams, loves music and is great with his laptop which he uses for studying and to read newspapers. All of this is empowering till he comes to a government website. And then, he stumbles.
Think Kurian is an exception? Then look at Krishan Kumar Murugan, 27. A systems analyst and consultant for the digital talking library at Mitra Jyoti, an NGO, he has also designed its website. A history honours student, Murugan has done the CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) course online and an advanced computer course from TCS. Despite these laurels, he's at a loss when it comes to state government websites.
“I think 99 per cent of government websites are pathetic. According to the World Wide Web Consortium guidelines, websites should be made accessible to the disabled. But as usual, our governments are oblivious to the guidelines and the misery of the disabled,” says Kurian, an activist who dreams of a disabled-friendly India.
Friendly features
So what exactly makes a website disabled-friendly? People with disabilities normally browse websites with the help of software like screen readers.
Acharya Sri Rakum, founder and principal of Sri Rakum School for Blind, added, “Since the visually disabled cannot read like us, the computer has to read out everything to them. It’s when software like JAWS (screen readers) come into use. These software can also be used in mobiles.”
Though there are ways to make navigation easier, that road hasn't been taken. “Look at this website. Aren’t there some graphics at the top of the screen?,” Murugan said, pointing to BWSSB’s homepage. “Is there a search box on this page,” he asked, with the Bangalore Customs website open before him. There was no search box, but a log-in and password box.
Guidelines fall on deaf ears
In 2009, the Centre issued guidelines to all states asking them to make government websites accessible to the disabled, and even offered assistance. Despite that, not a single website of the Karnataka government, including that of the legislature, is disabled-friendly.
However, he was all praise for the websites of the ministry of social justice and empowerment and the inclusiveplanet.com.
Govt excuse
An official from the state's e-governance department said, “We have received instructions to make websites disabled friendly, but we are yet to kickstart the process and are studying how to do it. We are contemplating features like magnifying the font-size and delivering content in audio form.”
Even the website of the disability commission doesn’t have such features. “We had a meeting with the e-governance cell and they have asked for time and also a meeting with a visually-challenged person so that they can sort out the exact working and use of JAWS,” said K V Rajanna, state commissioner, Karnataka Disability Commission.
Insiders, however, confess that making websites disabled-friendly is not on top of their priority list. As Madhu Singhal, founder managing trustee of Mitra Jyoti, put it, “All the big talk is restricted only to meetings and functions. But after that, there’s no action.”
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CITY CLUTCH AND HAND CONTROLS FOR YOUR FOUR WHEELERS
CITY CLUTCH™
Ø Convert any Manual vehicle into a semi automatic one
Ø Allows the driver of a manual vehicle to operate the clutch without using a foot pedal
Ø Complete automatic control of clutch
Ø Easier driving for a manual transmission of any type of car / light duty vans.
Ø You can change gear without operating the clutch pedal with your foot
Ø Suitable for almost every cars / light duty vans
Ø Getting better fuel economy then manual drive due to microprocessor controlled engagement of clutch
Ø You can interchange manual to automatic anytime by a simple ON/OFF switch (Multi function system)
Ø Specially designed for driving a car in heavy congested city traffic.
Ø Easily Transferrable from one vehicle to the other.
Ø Very useful for physical handicapped, aged person & women for driving a car
Ø Any person who is not able to use his left leg for driving car (Medical or other reason)
Ø Any person who finds it difficult to co-ordinate Accelerator, Brake and Clutch with two foot and needs a hand control for easy driving.
PRODUCT
City Clutch™ is a product which is very useful in converting your manual transmission vehicle into semi automatic one. It is an automatic clutch operating system which uses the existing clutch pedal mechanism system. No modification is made to the original clutch pedal mechanism system in your vehicle. By adding this system you can change gear without operating the Clutch pedal with your foot.
The clutch operation completely becomes an automatic according to the vehicle start, stop and speed. You only have to operate the accelerateor and brake pedals in combination with your gear selector.
HOW IT WORKS
The complete unit comprises of an actuator unit and an microprocessor based electronics controlled unit. The system is connected to the speed sensor, Battery, Brake lights, to a button on the gear shaft lever knob, the accelerator detection switch & the clutch pedal.
You will be provided with a little RED button on top of the Gear shaft knob. Every time you want to change gears, you press that red button. The Micro-processor controlled unit will detect it and send the command to motorized actuator unit. The motorized actuator unit will disengage the clutch. Now, after changing the gears, you’ll release the red button and the clutch will automatically be engaged. The speed of clutch engaging is totally depend on the vehicle speed situation All this will happen real-time, in back-ground, so all we are concerned with is that red button – we press it, change gears and release it. That’s it!
DURABILITY
The Components of the CITY CLUTCH automatic clutch system are subject to minimal wear and tear, with replacement parts inexpensive and readily available. All parts and labour are subject to an initial One year warranty, with free adjustments. Installation and proper service of a CITY CLUTH will in no way bring about premature wear of the clutch pad, on the contrary due to its tight microprocessor controlled engagement of the clutch, users may even see a slight increase in pad life.
FOR FURTHER DETAILS & DEMO CONTACT
SHIVA PRASAD Y B
Mob: 9448701111 / 9845056726
e-mail: cityclutchbangalore@gmail.com
Ø Convert any Manual vehicle into a semi automatic one
Ø Allows the driver of a manual vehicle to operate the clutch without using a foot pedal
Ø Complete automatic control of clutch
Ø Easier driving for a manual transmission of any type of car / light duty vans.
Ø You can change gear without operating the clutch pedal with your foot
Ø Suitable for almost every cars / light duty vans
Ø Getting better fuel economy then manual drive due to microprocessor controlled engagement of clutch
Ø You can interchange manual to automatic anytime by a simple ON/OFF switch (Multi function system)
Ø Specially designed for driving a car in heavy congested city traffic.
Ø Easily Transferrable from one vehicle to the other.
Ø Very useful for physical handicapped, aged person & women for driving a car
Ø Any person who is not able to use his left leg for driving car (Medical or other reason)
Ø Any person who finds it difficult to co-ordinate Accelerator, Brake and Clutch with two foot and needs a hand control for easy driving.
PRODUCT
City Clutch™ is a product which is very useful in converting your manual transmission vehicle into semi automatic one. It is an automatic clutch operating system which uses the existing clutch pedal mechanism system. No modification is made to the original clutch pedal mechanism system in your vehicle. By adding this system you can change gear without operating the Clutch pedal with your foot.
The clutch operation completely becomes an automatic according to the vehicle start, stop and speed. You only have to operate the accelerateor and brake pedals in combination with your gear selector.
HOW IT WORKS
The complete unit comprises of an actuator unit and an microprocessor based electronics controlled unit. The system is connected to the speed sensor, Battery, Brake lights, to a button on the gear shaft lever knob, the accelerator detection switch & the clutch pedal.
You will be provided with a little RED button on top of the Gear shaft knob. Every time you want to change gears, you press that red button. The Micro-processor controlled unit will detect it and send the command to motorized actuator unit. The motorized actuator unit will disengage the clutch. Now, after changing the gears, you’ll release the red button and the clutch will automatically be engaged. The speed of clutch engaging is totally depend on the vehicle speed situation All this will happen real-time, in back-ground, so all we are concerned with is that red button – we press it, change gears and release it. That’s it!
DURABILITY
The Components of the CITY CLUTCH automatic clutch system are subject to minimal wear and tear, with replacement parts inexpensive and readily available. All parts and labour are subject to an initial One year warranty, with free adjustments. Installation and proper service of a CITY CLUTH will in no way bring about premature wear of the clutch pad, on the contrary due to its tight microprocessor controlled engagement of the clutch, users may even see a slight increase in pad life.
FOR FURTHER DETAILS & DEMO CONTACT
SHIVA PRASAD Y B
Mob: 9448701111 / 9845056726
e-mail: cityclutchbangalore@gmail.com
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