Page 189 - Emerging Trends and Innovations in Web-Based Applications and Technologies

International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD)
Special Issue on Emerging Trends and Innovations in Web-Based Applications and Technologies
Available Online: www.ijtsrd.com e-ISSN: 2456 – 6470

Interactive Audio Technologies for the Blind:
The Case of VISIONary News

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Atharva Lingayat , Aditya Sathyan , Prof. Usha Kosharkar
1
3
1,2,3 Department of Science and Technology,
1,2,3 G H Raisoni College of Engineering and Management, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India

ABSTRACT wearable devices, enhanced NLP models, and multimodal
This review delves into the evolution and transformative interfaces that
impact of interactive audio technologies specifically
2. Background
designed for the blind and visually impaired. With a
2.1. Evolution of Assistive Technologies
particular focus on VISIONary News—a pioneering
Historically, assistive technologies for the visually impaired
platform in accessible media—this paper integrates
have centered on tactile and auditory modalities. Early
findings from cutting-edge research, technological
milestones include the invention of Braille in the 19th
advancements, and user-centered design principles. By
century, which revolutionized literacy and education for
analyzing the efficacy of these innovations, it highlights
blind individuals, and the development of mechanical audio
their potential to address critical gaps in accessibility and
playback devices, such as the phonograph, which enabled
foster greater inclusivity. The discussion extends to societal access to recorded audio content. These innovations laid a
implications, exploring how such technologies can foundation for addressing the educational and informational
democratize information access, promote independent needs of the visually impaired, albeit in a static and limited
living, and enhance civic participation for visually impaired capacity.
individuals. Furthermore, the abstract underscores the
necessity of addressing persistent challenges—including The latter half of the 20th century witnessed the advent of
cost, scalability, and usability—to fully harness the digital advancements that redefined assistive technologies.
potential of these advancements in creating equitable and Screen readers emerged as essential tools, enabling users to
participatory ecosystems. access digital text via auditory feedback. Optical character

recognition (OCR) systems further expanded accessibility by
1. INTRODUCTION converting printed materials into digital formats, allowing
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over for seamless integration with text-to-speech (TTS) engines.
285 million people globally experience visual impairments, Despite their groundbreaking nature, these technologies
with 39 million classified as blind. This represents a often lacked interactivity, requiring users to navigate
significant portion of the population facing unique challenges information in a linear and predefined manner. This
in navigating a world designed predominantly for the limitation constrained user agency and reduced the overall
sighted. Visual impairments create systemic barriers that efficiency of accessing content.
hinder education, limit employment opportunities, and
2.2. Emergence of Interactive Audio Systems
restrict access to critical information. Despite considerable
The emergence of interactive audio systems has marked a
advancements in assistive technologies, these barriers
transformative shift in the way humans engage with
remain pervasive, often exacerbating social and economic
technology. These systems are designed not only to respond
inequities for visually impaired individuals.
to commands but also to interact intelligently, leveraging
Interactive audio technologies have emerged as a real-time, bidirectional communication. At the core of this
transformative solution to address these challenges. These advancement lies the integration of natural language
systems leverage auditory and speech-based interfaces, processing (NLP), a branch of artificial intelligence (AI) that
offering accessible, dynamic, and context-sensitive modes of enables systems to comprehend and process human
interaction. Unlike traditional assistive tools such as static language in a manner that is contextually aware and
screen readers or manual Braille devices, interactive audio responsive. Through NLP, interactive audio systems can
systems incorporate real-time feedback and adaptive recognize nuances in speech, understand the intent behind
capabilities. They empower users by providing greater user commands, and provide tailored responses, thereby
agency in accessing information tailored to their individual creating a more immersive and personalized user
needs and preferences, enabling a more inclusive digital experience.
environment.
tasks through simple, hands-free voice commands.
Through a comprehensive review, this paper situates However, despite the vast popularity of these mainstream
VISIONary News within the broader assistive technology systems, a critical gap exists in terms of accessibility for
ecosystem, highlighting its innovative features, such as individuals with disabilities. In particular, the visually
adaptive content delivery, AI-driven personalization, and impaired face significant challenges in fully utilizing these
seamless integration with other accessibility tools. It platforms.
critically examines the limitations of such systems, including
challenges related to affordability, scalability, and To bridge this gap, interactive audio systems for the visually
technological literacy. Additionally, the paper explores future impaired must be specially designed with an emphasis on
directions, focusing on emerging technologies such as accessibility.

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