Access to Computers for Non-Literate People (ACNLP) is an ongoing research project at Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya on how computers can be made beneficial for non-literate or semi-literate people. The research focuses on human computer interaction when users are unable to read or write textual representations of language. In the context of a country like Nepal where the number of non-literates is very high, the project will be very beneficial by developing computing systems that can be readily used by people with limited literacy. It is envisioned that people of any literacy background will be able to create their own information content and share their rich knowledge, heritage and experiences. The research will be one more step in the direction of eliminating the digital divide, and empowering the people with information.
It is one of the aims of the research project to design and develop software with the help of which the users can create audio “webpages” which consists of voice and images instead of conventional text. They can share their experiences and stories with other users in the web with the help of this software. The concept, of non-literate people using sophisticated computer-based content authoring systems, is as yet an unexplored or sparsely explored territory in Human Computer Interaction.
The ultimate goal of this project is to enable non-literate people to participate fully in the information society, without any prerequisite of literacy or that their language has a writing system.
Objectives:
1. Investigate, develop and assess detailed requirements for speech-based technology, and then evaluate this technology in communities of non-literate Nepali-speakers in Nepal and India
2. Create a suite of software to allow creation of audio video content without use of textual forms of communication in human computer interaction.

We are working on prototype development as well as establishment of ACNLP network of target users in villages. Because the community will be more aware of how the use of information technology could bring changes on
their daily life; the research team will gain valuable insights into the suitable design of computing systems. In the current scenario of Nepal, where community telecentres are developing, we will collaborate with these telecentres in our research and provide them with the software we develop. We also hope to act as a catalyst for building confidence to empower the community.

Contact:
SAMBAD
Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya
Lalitpur, Nepal
Phone: (977 1) 5521393
(977 1) 5549948
url: http://www.sambad.org