MCAST Institute of Engineering and Transport – Mechanical Engineering students presented an Euro Note Reader, which is simple device beneficial to persons with impaired vision, to the Foundation for Information Technology Accessibility (FITA).
The device, which can be carried in a wallet and is credit card size, was manufactured by the students from MCAST Foundation College to help persons with impaired vision to differentiate between Euro notes of different value. The devices were presented to FITA during the media event so that these devices may be distributed to persons who need them.
The students, with the guidance of their lecturers, devised a simple yet effective guide made of light aluminium sheet, with 5 notches. Each notch corresponds with the unique width of the €5, €10, €20, €50, €100 and €500 bank notes respectively. When visually impaired persons need to check a bank note that they are handling, all they need to do is to compare the width of the particular note with the appropriate notch on the guide. The corresponding notch will indicate the value of the note to the person using this guide.
Foundation Year 1 students were given the task of manufacturing these guides as part of their basic mechanical engineering practice, making use of both hand and machine tools. Such exercises facilitate learning and instil a sense of pride and social responsibility in our students.
Stephen Cachia, Principal and CEO, praised the work and commitment of the Foundation course students and the MCAST staff who guided them. “This is an excellent example which shows how our foundation courses prepare our students to continue onto higher level courses. The manner in which our staff have guided our students in this project which also has strong element of social commitment is indeed exemplary”.
Dr De Bono, president of MCAST Board of Governors, thanked students and staff for their work. “The changes presently underway at MCAST will further strengthen these type of initiatives and will create the structures to continue to strengthen our Foundation courses further. Our Foundation courses are an important and crucial vocation for MCAST and we are committed to strengthen them further”.
Mr Stanley Debono, Chief Executive Office, Foundation for IT Accessibility stated ‘The project not only enhanced accessibility, which in itself helps improve the quality of life of persons with disability, but also championed the values promoted by FITA and MCAST, whereby persons with disability, academia and talented students worked together in order to achieve a shared goal and make a difference.’
The students who participated in this project were Jacob Cauchi, Tennielle Mizzi, Oumaima Assif and Kyle Azzopardi.