[Trainer-talk] Providing skills for the visually impaired Ghanaian

[Julius Braimah]

Hi Friends,

An organisation known as Ghana Inclusive Foundation for Technology
(GIFT) is ready to transform the life of the visually impaired people
in the Central Region of Ghana through adaptive computer training.
As people with disabilities have special needs, they require assistive
devices and technology to make their live easier. But few people have
access to such materials. The reason is these  devices  are expensive
and inaccessible.

Realizing this fact, Ghana Inclusive Foundation for Technology (GIFT)
is coming up with ideas to make these devices and technology more
accessible and affordable.

For this purpose GIFT has recently conducted research to determine the
exact needs of the individuals in our target group.

GIFT is a non-governmental and non-profit organisation to promote the
use of affordable assistive devices for all with disabilities in
Ghana. We will bring together creative manufacturers, donors and the
users to formulate solutions for an all-inclusive society. We believe
that, assistive devices can make a huge difference in the life of a
disabled person. They can help to address or solve most common
problems faced by persons with disabilities which are for the most
part unattainable in developing countries like Ghana.

 GIFT aims to start its operation with the first adaptive  computer training.
 Our motto shall be: “It is better to light a candle than to curse the
darkness.”

After my one year intensive training in entreprenuership skills at the
International Institute for Social Entreprenuers (IISE), I have
acquired a lot of practical skills which will help me to set up and
manage my New project in the Central Region of Ghana.

This dream of estabilishing a modern adaptive computer learning centre
in the Central region of Ghana emerged when a newly blind 42 year old
teacher was brought to my attention.
Mr. Dadzi was about to loose his teaching job as he suddenly found
himself unable to perform his teaching task as a new blind person.
I first counselled him and empowered him with both braille and
adaptive computer skills within three months.
After his training, we then approached his employer requesting Mr.
Dadzi to retain his position. They were extremely happy with his new
skills and eventually agreed to keep Mr. Dadzi in his job.

There are a number of newly blind people residing in the communities
of Central Region of Ghana who may have faced similar problems but
could not find a solution. In addition, most of the visually impaired
people in the Central Region of Ghana are not aware of the potential
benefits that assistive computer technology could bring to their
lives. And because they do not know, they do not care; they are not
sufficiently interested in this crucial training.

There are 858,750 visually impaired people in Ghana, according to a
study conducted by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in 2008.

There are ten regions in Ghana; only two of these have adaptive
computer training centres for visually impaired people.
 There is no adaptive computer training for visually impaired students
at the primary education level.

Commercial Screen readers software are also very expensive, thus
unaffordable to most visually impaired Ghanaians.

A number of private companies fail to employ visually impaired persons
because they lack ICT skills.


Our  vision is therefore to set up a modern information and
communication technology learning centre where visually impaired
people in this community can confidently operate computers by using
screen reader software like Orca as well as JAWS.
This is so that our  beneficiaries would finally receive the same
educational and employment opportunities on the same level as their
sighted peers.

Furthermore, equal access to information, communication and technology
is a basic human right.
Therefore, we want to extend affordable adaptive computer training to
all visually impaired people in Ghana.
Furthermore, the centre will provide counselling services for the newly blind.
The name of this training centre will be the Resource Centre for
Adaptive Technology (RECAT). Its location will be in the Central
region of Ghana, in Cape Coast.

The duration of the training will be five  months. It will start with
ten visually impaired persons initially in September 2010. The centre
will offer an intensive training programme six hours per day from 9am
to 4pm
Within three years, We will train over 95 benificiaries.

This training will help newly blind people maintain employment
especially those who are about to loose their job as they find
themselves unable to perform most task at their place of work.
This will help the beneficiaries to browse the Internet to gather
information effectively which will assist them in pursuing further
education.
Also this training will open employment opportunities for visually
impaired people to compete with their sighted colleagues  in
governmental institutions and private companies in Ghana.
RECAT will build strong links with corporations to ensure that our
graduates meet their ICT program needs and to guarantee employment for
some graduates in various fields.  These company links will also
assist RECAT by sponsoring certain students to ensure the project is
sustainable.

After people have gained skills and are working in mainstream
workplaces this will affect the attitude of society towards the
visually impaired.


Computers all over the world are connected to a big network. If a
blind person sits in front of a computer, others do not know whether
they are sighted or blind.
Once we have access to the internet, we the blind are not
discriminated, or outcast.
In these days where jobs and employment have become more essential
within our society, our computer training will serve as a platform for
most visually impaired people in Ghana to secure a brighter future.

This project requires a lot of effort and support to start its
operation. Therefore we will cooperate with any one who may like to
share his or her skills, experience or provide us with information
which will be useful to this project.
Thanks.


-- 
Julius Kwasi Braimah
Computer Instructor.
University of Cape Coast
Ghana West Africa.
<julius.vision at gmail.com>
<julius at gift-ict.org>
<www.gift-ict.org