Computer Labs for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Ministry Of Education Directorate Special Needs Education Visits New inABLE Assistive Technology Computer Lab at Likoni School for the Blind

The Ministry of Education under the docket of Directorate Special Needs Education (SNE) has been showing keen interest in what inABLE does nationwide. On 24th March, a team from the SNE comprised of Francis Karanja ICT4E in charge of the sections ICT, Sheilah Lutta and Lydia Songok. Their interaction with the computer lab students was amazing. The learning skills demonstrated, included using Microsoft Office Word to type essays and stories, as well as Math Flash to operate simple mathematical operation. Our visitors could hardly believe that this level of computer competence could be possible.

This great visit has started a collaboration between inABLE and the SNE to advocate for special attention to the ICT integration by inABLE into all the special schools.

PHOTO CAPTION: Madam Sheilah from the Kenyan Ministry of Education Directorate Special Needs Education (SNE) observing a totally blind pupil operating a desktop computer at Likoni School for the Blind.

On October 4th Michael Trucano, the World Bank Senior Education & Technology Policy Specialist and Global Lead for Innovation in Education, accompanied by an official from World Bank Kenya and the Ministry of Education, visited the inABLE assistive computer technology programs in Thika, Kenya.

Mr. Trucano was very eager see how our blind and visually- impaired students use the school-based ICT computer lab and what benefits it has on the learners. At both the Thika High School for the Blind and primary school, our distinguished guest were given a brief history of the schools, description of successes and challenges that the schools face, before touring the inABLE computer labs and hearing about our evolving computer education for the blind program and expansion plans.

In the computer labs, they watched learners—from grades 1 to 8— demonstrating their different ICT skills and capabilities, including keyboarding and online Internet research. Our World Bank guest interacted with the students, moving from one workstation to another as he asked questions.

At the second lab, Mr. Trucano was very much impressed to see the more advanced technology. Here more experienced students displayed their ICT knowledge by showing off their employable skills, including website development, Java Programming and e-course books on iPads.

Science Teacher (sighted), who has really embraced the use of technology in classroom, shared his method of teaching science using the laptops. Mr. Trucano enjoyed the presentation and encouraged the Science Teacher to continue his efforts to incorporate ICT into his science lessons.

All of of us at inABLE sincerely thank World Bank and the Kenyan Ministry of Education for their interest in our computer-labs-for-the-blind program and the many students who are capably learning computer skills.

Links:

• World Bank Officials Evaluates ICT Benefits at inABLE