UNAB Opens Up A Computer Institute

Aug 25, 2002

PATRICK Kyeyune is blind but he can type, surf the Internet and send email all by himself thanks to the Uganda National Association for the Blind (UNAB) which has introduced a Hi-Tech project where blind people like Kyeyune can learn how to use the comput

By Catherine NtabaddePATRICK Kyeyune is blind but he can type, surf the Internet and send email all by himself thanks to the Uganda National Association for the Blind (UNAB) which has introduced a Hi-Tech project where blind people like Kyeyune can learn how to use the computer and all its related programs.Using head phones connected to the computers, the blind students are able to know where each letter on the key board is located.“ The technology in the hard disc enables them to do all they want on a computer. We trained them,” Daude Wilson, UNAB Hi-Tech Project’s acting head trainer says.The project located at Industrial Rehabilitation Centre, Kireka in Wakiso District is managed by Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development.Last month, 13 pioneers graduated in information technology. “The UNAB Hi-Tech Project is aimed at giving computer skills to people with visual impairment,” says Daude Wilson.According to Wilson, the students are trained in Windows, JAWS, and Word Processing in the introductory class. “After the introductory class, the students are trained one-on-one basis on how to use open book. It enables them scan a text in a printed document that can be read by the computer,” he adds.Wilson also says when students graduate in introductory courses, they would have access to the lab for their own work and further learning. Graduates would have a mentor from computer sciences department at Makerere University to guide themJulius Kamya, UNAB’s secretary general said the association is advocating for equal opportunities for all Ugandans. “We want to remove the attitude that blind persons can not do anything on their own,” he said.He says the project was set up to equip blind people with information technology skills to enable them get gainful employment.The project was championed by UNAB, Sight Savers International, Freedom Scientific, Canadian National Institute of the Blind, Ministry of Gender and other stake holders.The institute is open even to those who are not blind. UNAB encourages people with no computer skills to seek sponsorship from their employers for training.Ends

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