20 Sep 2007 14:22
Johnson Riungu is a student at Kenya's Kenyatta University on the outskirts of Nairobi and is totally blind. Until recently, many of the everyday tasks of student life were impossible without a student assistant. Just keeping up with the reading elements of the curriculum meant having to have the material read out by an assistant or classmates, who are not always available or willing to take time out from their own studies.
However, thanks to a second-hand IBM ThinkPad, supplied by IT charity Computer Aid in co-operation with the UK's Department for International Development (DIFD) and Sightsavers International, Johnson and other students, such as Terry Twirimugambi, now have access to information previously only available in scarce and bulky Braille books.
Photo credit: Glenn Edwards
Alongside the laptop, DIFD has also provided £70,000 of funding for USB memory sticks, the Dolphin Pen, pre-loaded with accessibility software. Not all blind students have access to laptops and normal computers are out of bounds to them unless they have someone available to change the accessibility options in Windows — not an easy task even for the sighted. But simply plugging in the Dolphin Pen launches software that includes a screen magnifier — to make small icons easier to read — and screen-reading software which renders text into speech.
Also visually impaired, university lecturer Lubra Maziui (pictured between Johnson Riungu and Terry Twirimugambi) claims the Dolphin Pen has reduced her reliance on assistants. "It made a huge difference. I have used three other screen readers but the Dolphin Pen has been the best to use. It gave me a great deal of independence as I don't have to rely on a human reader. Although you can't eliminate the need for assistants completely, it's made my schedule much more flexible," she said.
Martin Kieti, an executive officer of Kenya Union of the Blind, received one of the first two Dolphin Pens to arrive in the country. "Within two days of using it," he said, "I was totally amazed by the revolution it brought into my life. For the first time, I could sit and work on my computer or laptop while leaning on the back of my seat. Above all, I could use any computer, especially at internet cafes, plug in my Pen and use my settings, just like anyone else."
Photo credit: Glenn Edwards
By equipping 200 students with Dolphin Pens, in four secondary schools and four colleges, the programme will assess the role that "assistive technology" can play in enhancing the education of the visually impaired. The three-year pilot programme began earlier this year, and it is also being supported by the UK's Royal National Institute for the Blind, and the Kenyan Ministry of Education. The total cost of a donated laptop and the Dolphin Pen comes to around £130, compared to around £320 for a Braille reader.
Photo credit: Glenn Edwards
To make the laptops easier to use, raised plastic stickers are added to the most important keys. However, although the laptop can dramatically improve the way of life for fully blind students such as Johnson, it is still a device primarily designed for sighted users. Much of the bulk and some of the weight of a laptop is associated with the screen — which is basically redundant. Mobile devices designed specifically for visually impaired users do exist, however, an example being the Freedom Scientific PAC Mate.
According to figures from DFID, there are 244,000 totally blind and 678,000 low-vision Kenyans. There are believed to be around 10,000 totally blind children and 20,000 with poor vision. However, 60 percent of these cases could be reversible through medical intervention, while the rest will require special-needs education.
Photo credit: Glenn Edwards
If you are interested in finding out more or helping to fund the Dolphin Pen project in Kenya, contact Computer Aid.
Photo credit: Glenn Edwards
Story URL: http://resources.zdnet.co.uk/articles/imagegallery/0,1000002003,39289533,00.htmCopyright © 1995-2009 CBS Interactive Limited. All rights reserved
ZDNET is a registered service mark of CBS Interactive Limited. ZDNET Logo is a service mark of CBS Interactive Limited.