Nippon Telesoft has recently visited the Cambodian Blind Association in Phnom Penh in Cambodia. We met Mr. Mao, the chairman of the association and discussed supporting its education information service.

The Cambodian population is estimated at around 15,000,000. After long term turbulence of war, and general unrest the country is now experiencing growth in many areas. The HQ of the Cambodian Blind Association is in a mint condition and admirable 3-storied building, built 3 years ago, and supported by the Japan Foundation. About 20 staff give a wide range of assistance in areas of teaching which includes massage and Braille, etc.

We also visited Mr. Kosal, the headmaster of the Kｒousar Thmey school in Phnom Penh, and agreed to give wide support, such as bringing in Braille printers, and altering the Braille software into the Khmer language etc,.

We presented our Multi] and [Pro] Braille printers　to the Vietnam Blind Association (HBA) in Ho Chi Minh. We also presented a training programme on handling, repairing and maintaining equipment and a total of 5 Braille printers were started up. They will print Braille textbooks and etc. in Ho Chi Minh City and surrounding area. One can easily input Vietnamese text and translate same into Vietnamese Braille, especially with the new Vietnamese Braille software produced by Professor Dien in Ho Chi Minh University, The graphic software is also included, to enable more attractively printed textbooks.
In Vietnam, there is a high visually impaired population who are victims of chemical defoliants. It is said to be 650,000 people out of total population of 80,000,000. The Educational environment had been not good enough for these visually impaired people with the lack of textbooks and other educational material.

With the Braille printer [Multi], you can print ink and Braille simultaneously; therefore you can print social studies’ textbooks very fast. Nippon Telesoft cooperates producing the Vietnamese software and screen reader.