Annie

The braille literacy rates across the globe are abysmal. The lack of special educators, insufficient STEM content in Braille, and lack of general awareness have contributed to unemployability and inefficient rehabilitation among the visually impaired. Thinkerbell Labs is solving this problem via Annie - The World’s First Braille Literacy device that helps the visually impaired learn to read, write, and type in Braille, on their own through interactive audio-guided content in vernacular languages. This technology will enable self, collective and competitive learning, ease homework delivery and evaluation, and bring in easy tracking of progress. With Annie, Braille literacy rates and the learning outcomes can be dramatically improved. We believe that by onboarding millions of visually impaired people onto the connected platform and empowering them with relevant content, we would be able to convert people who were left out of the education pipeline to citizens who contribute positively to the economy.

The braille literacy rates across the globe are abysmal - less than 10% in the US, less than 4% in the UK, and less than 1% in India. India has the most visually impaired people in the world. The total annual economic burden due to the visually impaired in India is estimated at USD 77 billion of which USD 22 billion is due to childhood blindness. The current primary education tools include wooden blocks, marbles, and plastic slates, with continuous 1:1 teacher supervision. The lack of special educators, insufficient STEM content in Braille, and lack of general awareness have contributed to unemployability and inefficient rehabilitation among the visually impaired. This issue is compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic with schools closed and visually impaired children having no access to education at all. The efficiency of Braille learning can be improved drastically. It is essential to address this issue as there is a very high correlation between Braille literacy and employment among the visually impaired.

Annie is the World’s First Braille Literacy device that helps the visually impaired learn to read, write, and type in Braille, on their own through interactive audio-guided content in vernacular languages. Annie allows for easy monitoring and evaluation of student progress via Helios (analytics) and downloading of new content by seamlessly integrating with the ecosystem. It also allows for the scheduling of tests and lessons and also enables teachers to give homework. Annie gives instantaneous feedback for mistakes and continuously evaluates the user, making the learning experience engaging and retentive. It introduces the world’s first digital braille games in single-player, multiplayer modes, challenges, lessons, and exercises to bring in a collaborative and smart learning experience.

Our target population is visually impaired learners below the age of 15: 19M learners worldwide. With Annie, the Social Impact created will revolve around helping millions of visually impaired children become literate, thereby kickstarting their education and paving the way to employment and independence. Our long-term vision is to deploy connected hardware products which can deliver interactive educational content to visually impaired students anywhere in the world.

Outcomes of our intervention:

Increase in Braille literacy

Increased Employability as research has proven a link between Braille literacy and employability.

Increased employment opportunities will lead to higher incomes and reduce overall dependence on family members or the Government.

Reinvigorated interest in learning would increase word of mouth and lead to awareness and hence schools will see more enrollment of visually impaired students.

Our vision is that Annie dramatically improves learning outcomes and increases the literacy rate of Braille worldwide. We believe that by onboarding millions of visually impaired people onto the connected platform and empowering them with relevant content, we would be able to convert people who were left out of the education pipeline to citizens who contribute positively to the economy. This ties in directly with Solve’s goals to Enable access to quality learning experiences, Increase the engagement of learners, Support teachers to adapt their pedagogy.

Thinkerbell Labs is a for-profit organization. Our flagship product, Annie has reached 16 states in India and centers in U.K. and U.A.E We currently have 35 customers onboard and 400 learners in our ecosystem. We are planning to scale internationally in the next 3 years.

Annie is the World’s First Braille Literacy device that helps the visually impaired learn to read, write, and type in Braille, on their own through interactive audio-guided content. This technology will enable self , collective and competitive learning, ease homework delivery and evaluation, and bring in easy tracking of progress. Key features of the device include:      

1.    Writing module : The digital Braille slate is the first-of-its-kind in the world and is unique to Annie. With audio feedback, and tactile input/output, the digital Braille slate is a foolproof method of teaching Braille writing with ease and efficiency.

2.    Typing module : The Braille keyboard is designed directly in line with the standard Brailler used worldwide, thus adhering to international standards, and training for real-life usage.

3.    Reading module : The refreshable Braille display consists of 2 large Braille cells and 6 standard sized Braille cells. It works in conjunction with the typing and writing modules, thus helping the user learn in real-time to read and write/type Braille at the same time, ensuring better learning outcomes.

4.    Data analytics : Continuous data capture of the children's usage pattern helps the teachers, parents, and the Government track device usage and the progress of each child.

5.    Premium interactive content: Custom designed interactive audio-tactile content ensures higher engagement and better consumption of lessons. Games, challenges, and learning assessment tools make practice fun and evaluation easy. Content in vernacular languages ensures that all children learn equally well.

Currently, there are 400 learners on Annie Ecosystem.

Our Indicators of impact:

1. Number of Annies deployed
2. Number of visually impaired children enrolled on our platform
3. Hours spent to learn on Annie
4. Number of lessons completed

These will give an overall picture of improvement in Braille literacy, enrollment in schools, and improved learning outcomes.

Full Time -10

Part-Time- 2

On contract-1

The Team at Thinkerbell Labs has Expertise and Experience Across Multiple Disciplines Such as Sales, Marketing, Software Development, Customer Success, Supply Chain Management, Manufacturing, Electronics, Mechanical, and Industrial Design. More than two decades of experience in inclusive education across the team combined.

This has allowed Thinkerbell Labs to Design and Manufacture Customized Hardware at a Large Scale in India and Distribute it Across the Country and Internationally.

We are striving to build an inclusive and safe workplace that enables & respects people irrespective of ability, gender, caste, and religion. Our woman-led leadership team & our vision of making education inclusive for people with disabilities is a testament to our approach. We are conscious of our choice of not just our team members but also our investors, partners, and vendors aligning on the principles of Inclusion in each of our endeavors.

We would like to partner with MIT D-Lab, MIT Media Lab, Solve Innovation Future, Sloan Entrepreneurs for International Development for global grants and

Annie learning ecosystem ties in directly with the ASA Prize for Equitable Education goals.
In developing countries, there is an acute shortage of special educators and teachers in the mainstream schools are not equipped with the necessary teaching methodologies to teach a student with visual impairments. Annie will reach visually impaired students studying in special schools and mainstream schools and help the untrained educator cater to them better.
In developed countries, Annie Learning Ecosystem will reach visually impaired students in inclusive schools, sensory services, and at home and help the SEN units in content adaptation, domain expertise, and progress monitoring.
Annie will democratize access to consistent and high-quality special education.