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Showing the way forward for Kenya’s visually impaired
01 August 2007
Image courtesy of Kenya Union of the Blind
As a curriculum developer at the 
Kenya Institute of
Education, Fred Haga Ochieng knows only too well the importance of staying on
top of the paperwork. And although he is visually impaired, this doesn't stop
Fred from keeping his workload under control. However, his disability does make
his job much harder: every day he must carry his Braille books and typewriter to
the office, and for a long time has had to rely on colleagues and family to help
him with his duties. For most blind and visually impaired people in Kenya, such difficulties are a
fact of life, and often stand in the way of getting on in school and the
workplace.
But in early 2006, Fred received a new device, the
Dolphin
Pen, from the Kenya Union of the Blind. The effect was radical. "Ever
since," says Fred excitedly, "I no longer have to "drag" my brother along to my
workplace, I no longer have to carry my heavy books and Brailler each day to and from work, I no longer have to
sit late into the night with my wife reading for me or taking dictation from me.
I am now able to use any computer at the Institute with liberty, do my own
internet research and read and respond to my e-mails with independence and
privacy."
Making reading easier
The Dolphin Pen, which magnifies and reads computer
screens, is now being distributed throughout selected schools and colleges as
part of a pilot project between the
Kenyan
Ministry of Education,
Sight
Savers International and DFID. The aim is to make learning materials easier
to access for visually impaired students, and so improve their academic
performance and increase their job prospects. It's important that these students
graduate from the education system with confidence, and feel able to integrate,
and fit in, in the workplace. Currently in Kenya, fewer than 10% of blind and
20% of Low Vision children are accessing education, and many fewer visually
impaired children progress to secondary school and college than sighted
students.
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. With
the price of Dolphin Pens and related hardware comparing favourably to Braille
typewriters and books, the programme will also identify how technology can
reduce the cost of their education.
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Revolutionising lives
Like Fred, those who have witnessed the benefits of the Dolphin Pen are keen to sing its praises, and share these benefits with more people. Martin Kieti, an executive officer of the Kenya Union of the Blind, received one of the first two Dolphin pens to arrive in the country. "Within two days of using it," enthuses Martin, "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."
In the words of Louise Banham, DFID Kenya’s Education Adviser: "When I first came to hear about this device from colleagues at Sight Savers there was this "wow" factor. Increasing access and equity in education is a serious challenge and it was obvious that this terrific little device offered appropriate, affordable, accessible Information and Communication Technology to the visually impaired. The potential benefits for the pilot students at secondary and university level are tremendous and can be realised with such a small investment."
As part of the pilot programme, 20 trainers, including Martin and Fred, will conduct intensive sessions in which students are taught basic computer skills and shown how to use Dolphin software. As the three-year programme continues, it is hoped that the lives of these students will be changed in the way that Martin and Fred's have been: taking some of the difficulties out of learning, and putting them on course for fuller and more productive futures.
Key Facts
The three-year pilot programme began in 2007. DFID is supporting the first year of the pilot, with funding of £70,000.
The Sight Savers Dolphin Pen resembles a normal USB stick but offers screen reading, screen magnification and text book reading capabilities. This device has come about through collaboration between Sight Savers International, the UK’s
The Dolphin Pens, including the laptop and the flash drive, cost £130 each, whereas a Brailler costs £320.
There are 224,000 totally blind and 678,000 Low Vision Kenyans. Amongst children, 10,000 are totally blind and 20,000 have Low Vision. It is believed that 60% of these cases are reversible through medical intervention, while the rest require special needs education.
Around 4,000 visually impaired children in Kenya are now accessing primary and secondary education through integrated and special schools.
Links
- DFID's Programme in Kenya
- Reducing Poverty by Tackling Social Exclusion
(153 kb) - A DFID policy paper