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Disability
is not Inability |
:: national network of Disability-friendly
cybercafes
As a public access facility the organisation is also fundrasing
for the establishment of a national network
of cybercafes
that are disability-friendly both as an income generating
solution for various groups of PWDs and as an method of building
access.
Building access to all levels of socio-economic engagement of
PWDs. This means education from primary to highest level, Health
and Political and economic participation.
The Deaf education programme began with development and publishing
of books online. It is yet the most successful programme which
however faces resource limitations that have an impact on strategic
progress. There is
need at the transitional period to publish both print and web
based materials to facilitate the transition from print materials
to web-based materials.
There is also the increasingly speed of internet penetration which
is good but again limited by the speed of electricity power rollout.
The rural electrification programme faces its challenges that
only the government has powers to speedup.
These issues imply a cost aspect in setting up or adopting
a digital village or school for PWDs or the general
public. The costs of alternative power supply is added to the
costs of hardware, software and funiture installations. This is
however increasingly becoming affordable as various factors become
convinient.
The expansion of cybercafes countrywide is essential for the inclusion
of the disability community in the increasingly defined digital
world. The fruits of education of bothe persons with or without
disability hinges on their ICT skills and participation. E-governement
process in Kenya also implies that the level of civic partcipation
will soon be defined by digital partcipation of citizens. National
examination results, Police forms, Visa applications, Civil service
job applications are some of the services already online from
e-government. Many major services like ID applications, health
services, and education services have advanced online solutions
already available.
This is important news for the people living with disabilities
because the digital solutions have the unique potential of improving
the disability-friendly of the Kenyan society.
The programme targets to develop disability sensitive cybercafes
in all major towns of Kenya and selected disability orgfanisations,
national, provincial and district hospitals, schools for persosn
with disabilities (residential or integrated).
Adopting a digital facility for PWDs in
the programme involves:
a) the facility is provided for by the partcipating organisation
or school unless otherwise.
b) The supply of electricity through the national grid or laternative
source is defined.
c) The furnishing of the facility to enable security, comfort
and disability -friendliness.
d) The initial training of Trainers or service provider on the
use of the ICT services.
e) The procurements and installation of hardware to the facility.
f) The installation of Internet facilites and alternatives back-up
systems for both power and internet.
g) The installations and alternatives in disability-friendly software
available and the training necessary.
h) The training on management and maintenance systems and strategic
skills that are transferable to locals.
i ) Trainings on the potentials of the internet and how to maximise
it to the benefit of the institution and the local community.
j) The exploration training of the potentials in profit making
to facilitate sustainability of the projects.
k) The programming for sustainability and growth.
Disabilitykenya
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