Blind and Visually Impaired students who have not interacted with our Computer Assistive Technology program find it hard to transition to tertiary education because their learning to date is through Braille and does not include computer instruction. inABLE is building an extension of its primary/high school Computer Assistive Technology program to give blind university law students a learning lifeline - laptop +Assistive Technology software+computer instruction.
The challenge comes when lecturers assess their assignments or must mark their papers, because they must take them to different institutions for transcription. Braille is also bulky and expensive, which means the students struggle to get reading and writing materials, as well as limited studying resources. These delays in receiving performance feedback combined with the inability to maximize efficiencies through computer technology take a toll on the students' confidence and time.
To eliminate these learning barriers, inABLE is proposing an extension of its effective Computer Assistive Technology training to aid university students that have these challenges, so that they leverage the power of technology and have soft copy reading materials. Also, procuring laptops for the students will go a long way in ensuring that they do not depend on Braille for their learning. This program bridges the digital accessibility access gap between the sighted and blind.
When Persons With Disabilities are equipped with computer literacy and computer assistive technology they will be more likely to attend university, report a positive experience, graduate and go on to higher education and meaningful employment, which leads to self-sufficiency and a higher self esteem. With success, more visually impaired persons (VIPs) will pursue higher education and professional aspirations.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
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