Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 2) — Select blind junior and senior high school students have joined a special Computer-Eyes training camp organized by the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) and partner agencies to promote employment opportunities in the ICT (Information and communication technology) sector for persons with disabilities.
A total of 17 students from the Luzon region are participating in the two-week-long face-to-face activity set August 1-12 at the NCDA Disability Resource and Development Center in Quezon City.
“The pandemic posed challenges to education (so) blind students need to equip and enhance their capability for online classes as this is part of the learning modalities by the Department of Education,” read NCDA’s statement on Tuesday.
NCDA Officer in Charge-Executive Director Mateo Lee, Jr. said that knowledge and skills in the realm of ICT are great equalizers for persons with disabilities to allow them to study independently.
Blind individuals could also have equal employment opportunities in the digital workforce, especially among the youth, if they have ICT skills, the director added.
The attendees will use a special software to learn basic computer skills such as keyboarding and Non-Visual Desktop Access (NVDA), a screen reader software.
Participant-trainees will learn to access Windows Office applications like Word, Spreadsheet, and Powerpoint, manage files and folders, and navigate the Internet for research work.
Computer-Eyes Camp was launched in 2001 by non-government organization Resources for the Blind, Inc. in partnership with IBM Philippines.
