Utilisation of Location Based Services for the benefit of Visually Handicapped People  C. Jeganathan Scientist/Engr. ‘SD’ Geoinformatics Division Indian Institute of Remote Sensing(IIRS), NRSA Dehradun, Uttaranchal Tel: +91-135-2744518 (extn.2315) Fax: +91-135-2741987 Email: jegan@iirs.gov.in Tanushree Sengupta Ph.D. Scholar Vishwabharti University Santiniketan, West Bengal Tel: +91-135-3110728 Email: jtanshree@yahoo.com Abstract Location based services (LBS) through handy mobile devices has been receiving increased attention for fulfilling improved developmental needs especially in the metros, where one is not aware of locations of places of their interest due to dense urban sprawl. This LBS technology will not only benefit entrepreneurs economically, but will definitely help nation’s socially less privileged people like blind people. Location based information warehouse have many potential applications like providing nearest bank/hotel etc., information to a mobile user. Private entrepreneurs are yet to fully exploit such need and the commercial benefit of it. Though the LBS will take a lead role for common man, what will it provide to a blind person, if it remains of text-based or graphic based information?. A blind person need in addition a voice based service and it should be automatic, instantaneous, whenever and wherever he/she wants. It is very sad to note here that only 200 blind people have daily access to computers, despite the availability of “Bharati Braille” software developed at Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai (Hindu, 2000). Amidst this fast changing technology, blind people have been kept stand still, without much change in their lives. Out of 180 Million World’s Visually Handicapped People, 25% of them live in India and 30,000 new blind are added every year (Brundtland, 2000). Hence a serious search for their normal livelihood is inevitable. Basically a blind person is not aware of his position, which can easily be identified through a hand held Global Positioning System (GPS) within the accuracy level of 20m. This positional information has to be told through a text-to-voice converter. But having 20m error on one hand is “something” rather than “nothing” for a blind person, but it is a problem for technology man, as how to minimise this error so that we can pinpoint the position on the map. Once the position is confirmed accurately we can play around within the software like finding nearest road or junction or hotel or bank and many more. LBS Technology is a ray of hope for visually handicapped people, as it gives a big hold for them – yes ‘their position’. This paper explores different possibilities of utilizing this technology with little innovative effort, for the social benefit. The key points to be analysed in order to provide a feasible system for the blind people are a) money b) accuracy and c) customized software. Keeping these points in view the paper tries to anlayse and provide a possible approaches using Geo-Information and Communication technologies (GI&CT). References:
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