Visually-impaired get ICT training for a better life

Deputy Works Minister Datuk Yong Khoon Seng observing how a visually-impaired man navigate his way on the Internet during the launch of the ‘Workshop on Employment for the Blind’ at the ICT Centre Sarawak. — NST picture by Rozana Latif
KUCHING: For 34 blind men and women here, information and communications technology (ICT) represents a great hope that they can one day seek employment and play a meaningful role in the country's development.
The "special" men and women, comprising mostly young school leavers, including 10 Form Five students, are taking part in a two-day 'Workshop on Employment for the Blind' at the Sarawak Society for the Blind, aimed at exposing them to real-life experiences of job seeking.

The workshop, partly funded by the Women's Development Department, will train them to use ICT such as the Job Access With Speech (Jaws) voice-synthesiser -- a screen-reading software which allows them to hear all text written on the computer monitor and thus equip them with the ability to seek and apply for employment online.

Visually-impaired Barnabas Aling, 24, said ICT went a long way in helping the blind bridge the gap between the able and the disabled.
"With software designed for the blind, we can now access the Internet, fill up forms, pay bills and do everything we need to become independent individuals in society.

"Access to knowledge and information is literally at our fingertips."
Wilson Sejahtera, 22, said he first underwent computer training with the society last year and was now able to read websites, receive and send email, and join social network sites such as Facebook.

"This facility is really helping us to become active members of the society, despite our disabilities."

Wilson, who works with the society as a Braille facilitator, hoped his growing use of ICT would someday open up more employment opportunities for him.
"I would like to one day work in an administrative or managerial position.

"I am also thinking of entering the ICT industry."

Deputy Works Minister Datuk Yong Khoon Seng, who launched the workshop, said vocational training initiatives were key in the government's efforts to achieve its goal of at least 1 per cent employment for the disabled in all public agencies.

"We still have a long way to go to achieve that goal but it can be done with the support for the right programmes which offer the blind and the disabled opportunities for training, learning and more participation in society.

"These programmes are also in line with the government's policy to reduce dependency on foreign workers and to increase training for the local workforce." -- By Rozanna Latiff