At least 100 visually impaired persons in Mandera County have benefitted from a 10-day digital training programme aimed at equipping them with foundational knowledge and practical skills required to thrive in this interconnected, technology-driven world.
The training, which ended yesterday, is also to equip persons with visual impairment with the requisite digital skills to enable them to use digital gadgets independently in order to navigate and participate effectively in the growing digital world.
This will come in handy at a time when the government is spearheading the digitisation of its services on the E-citizen platform to ensure seamless access by the citizens.
The programme is implemented by the Kenya Society for the Blind (KSB) in collaboration with the United Kingdom (UK) government and the Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet).
According to the KSB Executive Director, Samson Waweru, technology is a catalyst that will help the visually impaired not only to access information and services but also opportunities that come with modern-day technologies.
Speaking during the training’s closing ceremony, Waweru said that in addition to the training, KSB will provide computers with assistive devices at the Mandera Library where the beneficiaries will be free to visit and access online services.
“For a person who is blind, technology is the only bridge that can cure gaps of life and enable us to access employment opportunities and become better in our profession, and that’s why the UK government and KICTANet have partnered with us so that we are able to carry out this training and equip persons with visual impairment in Mandera with some basic skills in technology,” Waweru said.
“We are also going to bring 40 computers here, 10 of which will be installed with assistive software for the blind so that these persons can come to the library and use them to access information and opportunities,” he added.
Additionally, the KSB director said that they are going to enable the visually impaired persons to access digital books to read and grow their knowledge.
This is aimed at promoting critical thinking, problem-solving, and ethical decision-making abilities to enable effective and responsible use of digital tools and platforms.
Abdullatif Adan, a teacher at the Mandera Special School for the Blind, said that the training was a game changer for the visually impaired in the county such that they will not be left behind in terms of technological use.
“With this training, no one who has attended the sessions will have an excuse that they do not know how to use a computer or a laptop,” Adan said.
By Erick Kyalo
