A Brighter Vision for the Future: Technology Training for Visually Impaired People in India
By Neetu Katyal (Neetu Katyal is a Senior Reporter with PCQuest and Computers@Home magazines in India. You can reach her at neetuk@cmil.com. The magazine Web sites are: PCQuest: http://pcquest.com, and Computers@Home: http://computersathome.com.)
They can't see the words on the computer screen in front of them, but they know exactly what's written there. They are absolutely confident of what they do on their computers. They are the visually impaired students at India's National Association for the Blind (NAB). For the past seven years, NAB has been training visually impaired people through its computertraining center.
The organization
The first chapter of National Association for the Blind was established in Mumbai on 19th February 1952, and the Delhi chapter came into being on 19th April 1979. The NAB helps people with both total and partial blindness to overcome barriers related to blindness and low vision.
With 19 state and 65 district branches over the country, NAB assists visually impaired people lead a full life with education, training and employment opportunities. NAB Delhi also provides integrated education for 130 students, runs a school for blind children aged between 414, a hostel, placement services, a Braille and print production center, an audio library, a home for elderly blind people, and blindness prevention camps.
The technology lab
The computer center at NAB, called the Technology Training Lab, not only familiarizes students with computers, but also trains them to take technology headon. The computer center also works as collaborator and beta tester for educational and research institutes engaged in developing hardware and software for blind persons.
How are the students trained?
The instructors are themselves visually impaired and, therefore, know exactly what kind of problems their students face. Students are taught the fundamentals of operating systems, computer hardware, RAM and other such basics. The students get to know the various commands that let them control the working of the computer without any external help. The trainees are taught further according to the course they choose. Software such as Docsburry, Slimware Windows Bridge, Windows Eyes and Jaws for Windows are used for training the students. NAB uses screen reading software for students with low vision. Both theory and practical classes give the students enough time to practice what they've learnt. They also study on their own with the study material, which is in the form of audio books and literature in Braille.
Courses on offer
The NAB offers three types of courses-the Olevel course, which is of oneyear duration, a fivemonth diploma course, and a few crash courses. In addition, several refresher courses are available for the exstudents to upgrade their computing skills.
The Olevel course teaches the students basic computer concepts, common application software, MS Office, business systems, Web designing, accounting packages and a computer language.
The five month course gives the students a diploma in computer technology and adaptive technology, basic computer concepts, operating systems, MS Office, the Internet and email. After this course, the students can take the Computer Course for Common man (CCC) exam conducted by the Department of Electronics.
The shortterm courses only help the students with initial concepts to initiate a trainee into a selflearning process with the help of study material supplied by NAB.
What about placement?
Besides computer training, the students at the technology lab are kept informed of various employment opportunities that they can avail. The NAB has identified jobs like medical transcription, tourism, management, public relations, journalism, teaching, software engineering and designing as some of the few that hold possible placement for its trainees.
To help its students avail employment opportunities, the NAB works in a three tier format. First, during the training, students are regularly informed and kept abreast of what kind of jobs would suit them. Second, the students are motivated to contact the organizations that could hold a job for them. And third, NAB urges media like magazines to regularly provide information about suitable jobs that can be taken up by the visually impaired.
Tech-smart achievers
The association uses the latest technology and software for the training programs, thereby using technology as an enabler. Technology is a tool at NAB that helps complement the existing skillsets of the students. Students like Dinesh Ray from Sitamarhi, Bihar, who's armed with degrees such as MA (Hindi) and diploma in Journalism from Bhartiya. Vidya Bhavan has found computer training at the center very useful. He has completed three months of his fivemonth course and now can confidently work in MS Word. He is currently employed with the Press Information Bureau. Anjali Arora, the first visually impaired female who's serving the Delhi High Court as a lawyer; Vipin Malhotra, lecturer in Aurobindo College, Delhi; Pranav Lal, pursuing MBA Finance; Ved, a practicing chartered accountant; Dinanath, employed with the Indian Oil Corporation, are a few people who have benefitted from technology at NAB and used it to become independent.
Intel's Initiative
Intel is working with the NAB to determine the role that technology can play in effectively training visually challenged people. Intel's support comes in the form of newer software that helps the technology lab keep pace with rapidly changing technologies and hardware. With Intel's support, courses offered are structured and the training modules are packaged well to be able to replicate the model for other branches and similar institutions.
What about the future?
NAB at present faces the problem of providing residential facilities to all its students pouring in from all over the country. For this, the organization needs space to accommodate all the incoming students. In the words of Ashwini Agarwal, director, NAB Delhi, the association, in collaboration with its various branches spread across the country, aims to empower other such organizations and help India's visually impaired citizens lead normal, independent lives.
You can get in touch with NAB and know more about its activities at National Association for the Blind (Delhi branch), SectorV, R K Puram, New Delhi 110022. Email: nab@vsnl.com
|
