With efforts being made to allow persons with disabilities to gain more skills, members of the Disabled People’s Net-work (DPN) in Region Six are being given the opportunity to learn to use the computer.
The blind are also included and are benefitting from a programme, Jaws, that was installed especially for them, according to president of the DPN, Zoya Crandon who conducts the sessions.
She said Jaws enables the visually-impaired persons to listen to the commands but they have to first memorize the keyboard before they are instructed on what to type.
The courses which run for a three-month period started at the New Amsterdam Spe-cial Needs School (NASNS) over two weeks ago. They are held on Mondays and Fridays from 3 pm and already the students can prepare and print documents using Microsoft Word.
Crandon, the headmistress of the NASNS and president of the Community-based Rehabilitation Project said the students are “not school-aged and they have nothing to do at home. Some of them were getting depressed and they used to isolate and pity themselves.”
She said they are now being motivated through “support persons” from the DPN. A braille programme is also being held once per week to help them to read. She made a special appeal to the public to assist with material for the braille such as slate.
The adult students who had felt that they would never have the opportunity to learn to use the computer are very excited to do so.
According to Crandon, part of the objective of the DPN is to educate persons who are differently-able and help them to become computer literate. The next step is to teach them the use of the internet.
The project, she said was funded by the United States Agency for International Development – USAID.
Apart from the computer project, Crandon said the members would be able to develop their skills through a leather craft project that would come on stream shortly.
At the moment the DPN is preparing to host a fund-raising activity which would help to make that project a reality.
The DPN is also embarking on an exercise to “sensitize persons at the regular schools to take care of their eyes.” It is also to make them understand that persons with disabilities should not be laughed at but accepted and shown a lot of love and respect.
Special Needs
School
Crandon pointed out that the Special Needs School which has children from age 3 to 18-years follows the curriculum like the normal school. They too are learning to use the computer.
Some of the students from her school as well as those from primary tops were also attending a practical centre where they were learning woodwork and other craft.
Sadly, Crandon said last September the teachers at the centre informed her that they can no longer accommodate the students because “they are preparing for exams.” She said she knows that her students would not prevent them from preparing for the exams.
Though she is disappointed, she said she is waiting on the disability bill to be read in parliament for the third time before representations are made for the children to enjoy their rights.
She said some of the students are physically challenged while others suffer from mental retardation, hearing impairment.
Although being the headmistress is challenging, Crandon who has been attach-ed to the school for the past 15 years said she is enjoying it.
She said her job calls for a lot of patience and during this newspaper’s interview, when the children – who were obviously fascinated by the computers – came around and tried to interfere with them she calmly held them and with a smile, told them it was wrong.
At the time of this newspaper’s visit two of the teachers were busy training some of the students to perform a group dance so they could participate in the costume competition. The headmistress said the students were also expected to perform a dramatic poetry.
The school is continuing a project started by former headmistress, Natalie Ramoutar to provide “hot meals” to the students. This is being made possible through the Ministry of Education as well as persons from the United Women for Special Children and Boskalis.
Crandon pointed out that most of the students attend school without the first meal of the day which was preventing them from learning. The ministry has also budgeted for the school to receive a monthly dietary supply.