MDA Avaz Reader App

Dyslexia is a neurological condition which affects a child's ability to learn. The IQ of these children is average to above average with unique potentials, but they face difficulty in learning through standard methods.

It is a life long condition which implies that even in adulthood, the dyslexic would have difficulties in reading, writing, spelling and Mathematics, apart from other executive functions. According to statistics, about 10 - 15% of the school going children have this condition in India. In Tamil Nadu alone, there are about 2 million children with dyslexia.

Reading is the first step towards formal learning. Children with dyslexia could have a deficit in skills required to read, but strategies can be taught in a structured manner to overcome these deficits.

MDA- Avaz reader app pops-up these strategies as hints when asked for. This helpline helps narrow the skill-gap for a struggling reader and gradually helps him to become an independent reader.

MDA aims at taking this app to millions of people struggling to read due to learning difficulties. Conscious efforts have been taken to keep the cost low for the end-user; financial aid would ease it further.

MDA is dedicated to the task of helping a dyslexic through different stages of their life, from pre-primary to adulthood. MDA identifies at-risk children, builds up skills and empowers them with coping strategies throughout their educational journey.

With an aim to provide sustained support for reading, a life skill, MDA has driven the development of a cost-effective reading app. It is designed and built by MDA in partnership with Invention Labs.

The app uses state-of-the-art technology, works largely off-line and is based on the time-tested reading methodologies followed at MDA. As this app uses OCR technology, it and can be used to read any printed material.

Cost and access are the typical barriers for any support system. The reader is available on the simplest Android device, be it a tablet or a mobile, making it affordable to a common man. Internet is required only for a few minutes to set up the content to be read.

The support from the donors would help many children with Specific Learning Difficulty to subscribe to this reading app for the entire year. With sustained use of the MDA Avaz Reader, children who struggle with print become better at processing words and eventually become independent readers.

MDA Avaz reader is a low cost customisable app for reading. The internet is required only for certain preparatory activities. This makes it Internet safe for the child. MDA Avaz Reader is available on the simplest Android device, be it a tablet or a mobile. These two features make it affordable to a common man, enabling children with dyslexia to become an independent reader irrespective of their economic status. Additionally, the reinforcement model which is built into the app could reduce the need for external remedial support. This could reduce the financial load on the parents.

As this app uses the OCR technology to translate the picture into a readable format, a child can use this app to read any printed material – newspapers, school text books and story books. This would develop a reading habit in a child, encouraging to use the appropriate strategies on demand;thereby helping the child to become an independent reader life- long.

According to the latest survey there are about 35 million school going children with SLD. Nearly 70 to 80% percent of students diagnosed with Dyslexia have reading difficulty. MDA strives to provide support to this group through this reading app .