The Vodacom Lesotho Foundation has announced the official opening of Vodacom Insight Centre, a library for blind and visually impaired people. It is situated at the state library and provides specialist services, books and materials in appropriate media. The initiative is supported by Vodacom’s 4G/LTE technology.

The digital library hosts technology including a braille translator that supports more than 170 languages in two forms of braille; a high-volume production braille printer; a self-contained motion-activated reading device that instantly reads from any book or printed material; and a rechargeable talking book reader that enables visually impaired people or those with print disabilities to read digital documents on memory cards or memory sticks.

Tarifica’s Take

While operators like to tout the potential of their cutting-edge networks and other technologies, there are still many tangible benefits to be had from more basic technologies. Vodacom Lesotho’s initiative to help the blind and visually impaired get better access to reading materials falls into this category.

By leveraging its 4G/LTE network and investing in a braille translator and two other kinds of electronic reading devices, Vodacom will be doing a good deed for disabled people in Lesotho, while also doing two things for itself—demonstrating to potential subscribers that it is a caring company and showcasing its technological abilities and how they can be used to help people.

In so doing, the operator will be helping the disabled while also strengthening its brand in both humanitarian and technological aspects.