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By Jaipal Sharma

Bangalore, Sep 2 (ANI): Indrani Medhi, a
software engineer, has designed a software that permits illiterate people to
access a computer easily.

Medhi said that a huge section of society
remains cut-off from using computers because they have low literacy, even as
computing plays a larger role in everyday life.

To make computers more accessible to such
section, Medhi designed four applications - job search, mobile money transfer,
health information and a map, out of which job search and the money transfer
applications, are fully functional.

“Text-free interfaces are designed
guidelines for computer-human interfaces for low literate people such that on
first interaction with the PC (Personal Computer) or a mobile phone, they are
able to realise useful interactions with minimal or no assistance,” said Medhi.

The job search function uses symbols to
denote the kind of jobs less literate persons would look for. There is also the
availability of voice-based information. The entire application is text free so
even completely illiterate persons can use it with minimal or no assistance to
find jobs and medical help.

“There are designed principles such as graphics,
hand-drawn-style graphics, voice annotation in the local language, help
feature, a video which gives you the broader context of the application. A lot
of mouse-over functions as it is, so we have done away with text. There’s
absolutely no text but there is use of numbers because low literate users are
able to read Indo-Arabic numerals,” added Medhi.

Indrani Medhi has been listed on the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s tech review publication. She has also
been listed as one of 35 Outstanding Innovators in Technology for her work.
(ANI)