Ind. company will help teach science to blind

INDIANAPOLIS — A Purdue-based company is getting a half million dollars to build a hand-held device that will help teach science to visually-impaired students.

Purdue University said Tuesday that Independence Science LLC won the grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a hand-held device that translates text into audio.

The company is developing the hand-held Talking LabQuest with other companies that make learning aids for blind students and the visually impaired. The device would work with other programs like HumanWare’s BrailleNote which helps students take notes, check email and search the Internet.

Independence Science President Cary Supalo says the new device will help students perform lab tests and collect data. Supalo said Tuesday the device will make science more accessible to the blind and visually impaired.