Blind SA launches isiZulu TTS

Alrode’s Blind SA celebrated its 77th Founder’s Day Commemoration and the 70th anniversary of Braille Services while cherishing the groundbreaking launch of the isiZulu TTS (Text-to-Speech) on October 26.

Blind SA initially started on October 26, 1946, as the South African Blind Worker’s Organisation to help the blind and partially sighted find meaningful careers. The entity, which, for years, has empowered the blind community with knowledge and developmental services, continues to empower the blind community with equal opportunities.

According to Blind SA’s CEO, Jace Nair, the organisation was established to empower persons with visual impairment, especially immediately after WWII.

“Several people returning to the country were soldiers blinded in the war. To get them employment, some were employed as telephone operators in the mines and hospitals. Significant changes happened in about 1992 when the organisation started to provide services to all blind South Africans,” he explained.

With the changes that later started in the country, the SA Blind Worker’s Organisation also started its transformation to the extent that by 2004, they saw the need to change their name to Blind SA due to the broadness of their services.

“Not only were they focused on employment, but they also looked at providing other services such as study bursaries and social interaction for blind people. In 2012, they expanded their services by focusing on orientation, mobility services and training,” Nair said.

Being in all nine provinces and continuing to thrive, he said their primary undertakings include advocacy, lobbying, networking, self-representation and taking any matter that concerns the blind.

Braille Services

Braille Services was established in 1953 and has evolved to produce at least 2.5m Braille pages a year in all 11 official languages.

Nair said they are the only Braille producer in SA that produces Braille in all 11 languages.

“Braille Services has also expanded its services to include other accessible formats like large print that partially sighted people mainly use, audio and Daisy (digital) materials. In our 70th year of Braille Services, we saw a need to develop the isiZulu Text-to-Speech, commonly referred to as TTS, for blind users,” he explained.

He said TTS is widely used in English but is also available in several international languages.

“In SA, there are many TTS software options developed overseas that work exceptionally well in SA. Apple has VoiceOver, and Android has TalkBack, which allows us to use our smartphones. Many years ago, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research developed some South African TTS, but it was not of high quality. It was a very electronic speech and difficult to use as a tool,” he explained.

Blind SA then received enquiries from people who needed TTS in South African languages.

They then engaged with Blastbay Studios and Wits University School of African Languages and Linguistics to look at how they could develop a tool to assist blind people. After engagements, they agreed to start with the isiZulu TTS, and the voice is called Imbali (flower).

“We managed to record thousands of sentences. We’re now at a stage where we have a product we’re confident would be very useful to blind users to read and write in isiZulu using the TTS software. Blind and partially sighted Windows screen readers will be able to install this TTS, enabling them to read materials in isiZulu at no charge,” he explained.

The second project is said to be the Setswana TTS. This project will help improve the reader’s vocabulary and grammar and provide more understanding of the South African language.

For more information, visit Blind SA at its head office on 5 Fuchs Street, Alrode, or call 011 839 1793.