A special thanks to MBSJ who sponsored the venue
The above backdrop reads:
Parents of OKU
Face-to-face gathering
Date: 16 & 17 December 2023 Venue: Kompleks 3C Sunway, Selangor
Problem Statement 1: What will happen to my child when I am gone?
Keynote Speaker: Dato’ Dr Amar Singh HSS
VIP Guest: YB Senator Tuan Isaiah Jacob
A token of appreciation was presented to YB Senator Isaiah Jacob after the open dialogue session by Mr Wong Yoon Loong, Executive Director of NCBM with Mr Alvin Teoh, Project Leader.
New Accessible Tech For The Blind in Malaysia
One of the best use of a Text to Speech engine is to read electronic files that are in the form of a document to blind people. Working together with OCR applications, such a speech engine will also be able to read printed or even clearly written hand written print to the blind.
However, even though Malaysia stresses on the need to use our own national language, no money has been allocated to develop such an engine. Perhaps, initiatives in developing such an engine never ended up with such a tool. However, businesses such as Nuance has actually made one such text to speech engine and has named it Amira.
Working together with a China developer, NCBM is about to make available such a tool. It is in the form of a pocket size MP3 player that has capabilities of opening up document files and have them read aloud. Therefore, such a tool will be very useful to blind people who want to read documents without having to turn on a computer. Without a Malay text to speech engine, most of us have to be contented using English or American speech engines to read Malay. Some of us have got use to using an Indonesian text to speech to read Malay but it will be preferably to have one that we can call our own.
Prior to this initiative of ours, this device only reads in English Chinese and some other languages which has been made available by the different country representatives. Within the next 2 weeks or so, NCBM will make this available. Not only will it read documents, the menu is also now in Malay.
For a demonstration of this device reading the Malaysian Disability Act, (Act 685) in Malay, you can listen to the audio below;
For more information, kindly call
Wong Yoon Loong
Executive Director,
National Council for the Blind, Malaysia,
60182683312
Are You Blind? Made for the Sighted, By The Blind by Jason Lim Productions
Made for the Sighted, by the Blind. Even though many of us are blessed with sight, many of us take it for granted. Ignoring the little details in life that truly makes a difference. The First ever Malaysian Made Film which is “Audio Described”, directed and produced by Jason Lim. “Are You Blind?” Part 2 is the First of a Kind Film in the world, filmed entirely with the Visually Impaired.
www.youtube.com/JasonLimProductions
Audio Description – allowing the blind to visualize through description
In an effort to support the introduction of Audio Description in Malaysia, we had a session where we invited Mr. Joel Snider an expert in the field of Audio Description to provide training on the need of Audio Description and how it will benefit the blindness community. From the 6th of May. 2015, NCBM, with the support of Mr. Joel Snider, spend several days in providing training.
As a start, we already have entities supporting us in achieving our goal of bringing Audio Description into Malaysia. Therefore, if you are a visitor to Malaysia and you would like to enjoy such services, kindly follow the link below>
The National Council For The Blind, Malaysia (NCBM) in short is a non-governmental , non-profit and tax-exempt organization, under the Societies’ Act Of Malaysia which officially came into being on 14th February 1986.
Member Organizations of NCBM
The five major voluntary organizations serving the blind that make up this umbrella body are:
- Malaysian Association for the Blind (MAB), based in Kuala Lumpur
- Society of the Blind in Malaysia (SBM), based in Kuala Lumpur
- St. Nicholas’ Home, based in Penang
- Sabah Society for the Blind, based in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
- Sarawak Society for the Blind, based in Kuching, Sarawak
Objectives
The objectives of NCBM include the introduction and progressive improvement of policies and implementation of services governing the education, rehabilitation, employment, and general welfare of the blind and the prevention of blindness in Malaysia.
Functions
The functions of NCBM include the following:
- Co-ordinate activities of member organizations, encourage and facilitate cooperation between them.
- Provide the forum for consultation and discussion of aims, policies, plans, activities, views, and problems of member organizations.
- Review and promote progress in the fields of education, braille literacy and computerized braille production, rehabilitation, vocational training, employment, social welfare services, prevention of blindness, and other programs and schemes for the blind in Malaysia.
- Solicit the support of the government and other agencies for services, programs and schemes to be carried out for the socio-economic advancement of the blind.
- Present a common approach to relevant government bodies, the private sector, and the Malaysian public in general on issues that may affect the welfare of the blind and liaise with other organizations serving other categories of disable person.
- Represent Malaysia in all international bodies concern with the work for the blind, and appoint the Malaysian delegates to any national or international conferences.
Funds
NCBM accepts contributions, donations, grants, endowments, legacies and subscriptions from persons or bodies (including the government) desiring to assist in the promotion of the objectives and to hold such funds as trustees for the achievements of the said objectives.
Please continue to support our cause by sending your donations by cheque to: MAJLIS KEBANGSAAN BAGI ORANG BUTA, MALAYSIA or through bank transfer Maybank Account No : 5145 9813 0410 and please send the Bank-in slip to us via email at info@ncbm.org.my as confirmation and we will send you a tax deductable receipt (applicable for Malaysia only.)