Bruce holds the title of Research Scientist II at the Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Ms. Mbari- Kirika is founder and Executive Director for in. ABLE. Mr. Ngondi are computer training staff for in. ABLE at the Thika School. Dr. ![]()
Computers Assisting The Handicapped. Computer programs and devices are available to allow people. Many blind people today use text-to-speech 'screen. Screen Readers for Blind JAWS v4.01 (Job Access With Speech) by Freedom Scientific TM This is a powerful screen reader program for people who are blind. Make any computer talk in minutes. Learn to type, write letters, exchange Email, and manage music. Let us open the door to computers for your blind friend. New computer programs Goodfeel and Lime Lighter help blind read, write music. Computer programs help blind read, write music. Walker is an Associate Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology with joint appointments in the School of Psychology and the School of Interactive of Computing. There is growing interest in developing effective strategies for supporting information and communications technology (ICT) adoption and implementation in Kenya, particularly within the educational sector. However, while there is awareness that access to education through ICT should be equitable for all students, individuals with disabilities, especially those with vision impairments, are generally the lowest priority group. Despite the potential usefulness of ICT for students with vision impairments, most of the schools in Kenya have not been successful at building an effective computer lab program to train students in computer skills and to use computers for academics. This article reports the work of in. ABLE, an organization dedicated to effectively implementing ICT and empowering students with vision impairments through technology. We discuss the challenges and efforts to address sufficient infrastructure, administrative and personnel support, equipment, and curriculum development necessary to develop a successful computer training program in the Kenyan schools for the blind. Keywords There is growing interest in developing effective strategies for supporting information and communications technology (ICT) adoption and implementation in Kenya, particularly within the educational sector. However, while there is awareness that access to education through ICT should be equitable for all students, individuals with disabilities, especially those with vision impairments, are generally the lowest priority group. Yet, these students have a high likelihood of realizing a benefit from using educational ICT because it enables access to academic, social, and employment opportunities that have historically been unavailable or significantly limited. Organizations such as in. ABLE, a non- profit based in the United States, have recognized these crucial benefits for students with vision impairment and are developing ICT training and educational support programs for teachers and students at the schools for the blind. These efforts have potential to provide access to life- changing educational opportunities and ICT skills, but are impacted by various factors such as availability of infrastructure and resources, government policies, funding, and skilled personnel shortages. Through several reports and initiatives, the Kenyan Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MOEST) has formally recognized the potential of ICT to improve access to the academic curriculum, facilitate job training skills, and promote future employment for children (Government of Kenya, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, 2. Additionally, the National ICT Strategy for Education and Training (Republic of Kenya, Ministry, 2. ICT into educational sectors including policies, implementation planning, leadership, infrastructure needs, sustainability, training, and research. As a result of this financial burden, many families often make the choice to use their limited funds to pay for their sighted childâs schooling first. If a child with vision impairment is able to attend school, he or she often requires specialized resources such as teachers who have additional training, braille textbooks and paper, and other tactile materials to meet their basic educational needs. Expenses for these resources add to the cost per student and are not fully covered by the government. For example, a braille textbook costs approximately $5. The Kenyan government does not provide these materials, but does give schools funding to help defray these expenditures. The budgetary issues associated with the traditional academic tools and resources result in a general inability for schools to provide equal access to education for students with vision impairments. The standard curriculum has been modified for students with vision impairments at the secondary level, yet this adapted curriculum offers fewer subject choices and narrowed content within subjects. Students with vision impairments may not be given the opportunity to enroll in classes, such as physics or chemistry, that do not have adapted materials or access to trained personnel who can grade their brailled assignments. Math and science content is modified according to current tactile and verbal techniques and resources, but certain concepts such as graphing may be deemphasized or neglected due to the difficulties in conveying them to students with vision impairment. Updates to the standard curriculum that are made periodically as part of academic evolution generally take longer to get implemented into the adapted curriculum, leaving students with vision impairments in a constant deficit when compared to sighted students. Moreover, accessibility problems with national exams make it nearly impossible for these students to give an informed response to certain types of questions such as those with diagrams or illustrations. Students will automatically underperform on these exams because they are scored on the total of all questions regardless of whether the questions are accessible to them. Consequently, the majority of children with vision impairments are disadvantaged by existing educational resources and procedures, leaving them undereducated and less likely than their sighted classmates to finish school or join the workforce in a competitive employment position. One of the most often cited projects is the Sightsavers Dolphin Pen program that began in 2. Internet) through assistive technology software loaded onto a USB device (Dolphin Computer Access, 2. This project was significant because it did not limit students to working on a specific computer with specialized software. Instead, the pocket- sized device equipped with screen reader, magnification, text to speech, and braille capabilities could be plugged into any computer with a Windows operating system. This portability is particularly useful to college students and students in integrated secondary schools, since they do not have to carry around a personal computer and could use any computer regardless of whether or not it had specialized software. However, at over $1. For these specialized schools that may serve over 2. ICT is necessary to ensure that every student has an opportunity to use it. Although computer labs do not enable students to have computer access outside of school like the Dolphin Pen device, it can be easier for schools to keep track of, maintain, and replace desktop or laptop computers. Additionally, some of the specialized software can be purchased at a reduced rate for multiple users and may even be available in a free version. A number of the specialized schools for blind students have received computer donations over the years, but the computers often go unused by students with vision impairments. Computer donations are relatively easy to acquire compared to the longer- term needs associated with infrastructure, personnel, and training materials and content. The schools often have budget constraints, space and connectivity problems, and a lack of trained personnel that can make it nearly impossible to operate a computer lab program. Another concern is that there is neither a computer training curriculum available through the Ministry of Education nor any training materials that have been developed and tested in Kenyan schools for the blind. Although these can be challenging issues for schools that have limited resources, they are not impossible to overcome through partnerships between schools and outside organizations. This paper reports on the work of in. ABLE, an organization dedicated to effectively implementing ICT and empowering students with vision impairments through technology. One of in. ABLEâs primary organizational goals is to establish a technology center in each of Kenyaâs schools for the blind that is sustained by sufficient infrastructure, administrative and personnel support, equipment, and curriculum development. In working towards this goal over the last five years, in. ABLE has deployed and currently manages computer labs at the Thika School for the Blind near Nairobi. Through this program, in. ABLE discovered that children with vision impairments also needed greater exposure to reading, but are often left out due to limited availability of text and graphic alternatives such as braille or large- print versions of books. A visit to the Thika School for the Blind led in. ABLE to establish a library and computer training program at the school that would foster literacy opportunities and broaden access to education in general. The Thika School for the Blind was opened by the Salvation Army in 1. Kenyan students with vision impairment (
Students at both schools attend in trimesters, with a break every fourth month (in April, August, and December). All of these students live in dormitories on the school grounds and may leave during break months. The students range in age from four to 3.
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