South Africa: Blind SA is all set to launch the Isizulu Text To Speech for blind users at the 77th Founder’s Day Commemoration and 70th Anniversary of Braille Services on 26 October 2023 at Blind SA House, Alberton.
Blind SA is excited to announce that it will be celebrating its 77th Founder’s Day Commemoration and the 70th anniversary of Braille Services.
Additionally, they will launch the Isizulu TTS (Text-to-speech).
On 26 October 2023, Blind SA’s 77th birthday, Braille Services celebrates the 70th anniversary of its humble beginnings! What started as a small one-person operation in 1953 is South Africa’s largest braille printing press, producing around 2 million braille pages annually in eleven official languages.
As a division of Blind SA, Braille Services has, for many years, produced braille only. Still, since moving to the new premises in Alberton, its services were expanded to include large print, audio and Daisy (Digital) materials.
On 13 December 2022, Braille Services received its second “Certificate of Endorsement” for printing quality braille from the South African Braille Authority for the period 2023-2025.
A special commemorative brochure highlighting the past seventy years of braille production will be published.
In addition, the Isizulu TTS developed in conjunction with Wits University School of African Languages and Linguistics and BlastBay Studio of Sweden will be officially released. Blind and partially sighted Windows screenreaders will be able to install this Isizulu TTS, enabling them to read materials in Isizulu at no charge. The project was funded by SABWO Trust.
Blind SA said, “We are proud and grateful to be able to share our accomplishments and hope to be instrumental in keeping up with technology and providing these services for many years to come.”