SAnote is a talking computer, aimed at empowering the blind community

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is one of the leading science and technology research, development and implementation organisations in Africa. Through its information and communication technology (ICT) operating unit, the Meraka Institute, its mission is to build a world-class ICT research, development and innovation institution that aims to improve the quality of life of all South Africans. The SAnote, computer for the Blind, developed by the CSIR's Meraka Institute, is one of several human language technology (HLT)-enabled products aimed at achieving this goal, by enabling, amongst other things, e-inclusion.

The SAnote responds to the demand for an affordable, localised device that can assist the blind community to more readily join the global information society. The inclusion of synthetic voices in the official languages of South Africa, through the CSIR's Qfrency text-to-speech (TTS) system, broadens the impact potential of the SAnote. The SAnote emerged from the National Accessibility Programme (NAP). If you would like to find out more, please contact us.