MindTree Foundation at the International Assistive Technology Conference - 23rd & 24th July, 2010

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The Center for Assistive Technology for Life Skills Training, (CATELST), Spastics Society of Karnataka (SSK), in its endeavor towards the rehabilitation of people with special needs, is organizing its first International Conference on Assistive Technology (AT). The event is being hosted at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAC), IISC – Bangalore on the 23rd and 24th of July 2010. MindTree Foundation has joined hands with the SSK in an effort to build awareness about the developments in the field of Assistive Technology. MindTree is a member of the core conference committee.

(For more information on the conference and SSK, please visit:  http://conference.spasticssocietyofkarnataka.org/)

MindTree Foundation is working on an initiative to bring out ‘Affordable Assistive Technology Solutions for the Disabled’.  It has considered multiple technologies to address the needs of individuals with cerebral palsy and musculo-skeletal disorders many of which have moved beyond the initial evaluation process and are in various stages of development. Raja Shanmugam – CEO, MindTree Foundation and his team members are adding the final touches to two such devices which they intend to release to the market by December 2010. These include  ADITI (Analog Digital Theremin Interface) which helps  people with disabilities connect with computers and KAVI (an augmentative alternative communication - AAC device) to help those with cerebral palsy and speech disorders to communicate easily.  These products are the result of collaborative efforts between MindTree, educational institutions like IIT Chennai and Kharagpur, and NGOs like SSK and Vidya Sagar.

MindTree Foundation is exhibiting ADITI and KAVI at this conference with a real-time demo of both the devices. Raja Shanmugam will also be speaking on 'Development of affordable, sustainable and indigenous technology' at 11:00 AM on the 24th of July.

In India, the concept of Assistive Technologies has been limited to mostly hearing aids, prosthetics and wheelchairs.  More sophisticated technology is needed to help a person with special needs to perform many of the tasks required to function independently, communicate and be productive in today’s world.  Apart from the cost related issues, there are also issues of availability, training, localization, servicing etc - even for those who can afford them. With a population that has 70-100 million people with special needs, pure philanthropic means of distribution are not viable.

Considering the business models for these devices in the Insurance driven western world,  it will be very difficult to for international makers to either sell current devices at the required price points or invest in research to make devices targeted to Indian needs. Hence the need for development of affordable, sustainable and indigenous technologies.

For more information on MindTree Foundation, log onto www.mindtreefoundation.org