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Kudzai Chikiwa, Chronicle Reporter
GOVERNMENT has partnered the private sector to train teachers on how to equip visually impaired pupils with ICT skills, a Cabinet Minister has said.
Information, Communication Technology and Courier Services Minister Kazembe Kazembe said Government has noted that the visually impaired are lagging behind in ICTs.
“We understand that ICTs have taken centre stage in development even in education. However, people who are visually impaired are lagging behind, the reason being some do not have computers and most teachers at schools do not have special training to equip visually impaired learners.
“Our partnership with the private sector is meant to bridge this gap and make sure they catch up with the rest of the people,” he said.
Minister Kazembe said in October last year, Government invited consultants from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to train teachers with disabilities including the visually impaired under the banner of “training the trainers”.
“Approximately 30 people have been trained on how people with disability can use computers and the target was to have at least one specialist per institution that caters for visually impaired learners,” he said.
Minister Kazembe said through the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz), Government has donated a number of computers to learning institutions that cater for the visually impaired students.
“However, due to shortage of foreign currency, Government has not purchased the JAWS (Job Access with Speed) software which is incredibly expensive,” he said.
JAWS software is a computer screen reader programme for Microsoft Windows that allows blind and visually impaired users to read the screen either with a text-to-speech output or by a refreshable Braille display.
He said access to ICTs by visually impaired people will guarantee equal opportunities to all.
Meanwhile, the Bulawayo public library has partnered a local non-governmental organisation to start training visually impaired people in ICTs.
The three months training that started last week is facilitated by Simphiwe Development Trust, an NGO that specialises in computer and technology training for disadvantaged communities.
The organisation provides free lectures at the public library using computers that were donated by the Potraz to its Braille Department in November last year.
In an interview, Simphiwe Development Trust programme director Mr Leeman Dube said the training is a pilot project meant to complement Government’s efforts to embrace ICTs.
“We believe in technology empowerment and this partnership is to complement Government’s efforts to train the visually impaired,” he said
Mr Dube said they targeted a class of 15 people for a start and more students will be recruited as time goes on.
The Bulawayo Public Library Braille Department coordinator, Mr Killion Dube, commended Government and the private sector for their thrust in making ICTs accessible to people living with disabilities.
He said the training in ICTs comes during a time when the visually impaired community felt left behind in technology.
“We are still behind in terms of accessibility; even at schools you will find that there are computers but no teachers who are trained specifically to help a person like me.
“We do not depend on the mouse when operating a computer so we need an expert in using the keyboard. We also require the voice assisting software which cannot be found in public libraries,” he said.
—@tamary98.
Online Reporter