Blindness in Ethiopia results from a wide range of natural and man-made factors, and is also linked to underdevelopment and armed conflict. Neglect, discrimination and lack of awareness means blind people have little access to education, employment, information and other forms of social participation. Information and communication technologies are, however, beginning to overcome these barriers.
The Adaptive Technology Centre for the Blind (ATCB) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was established in 2000, introducing access to information for the blind community. The ATCB has two main activities computer training supported with electronically generated voice, and computerised Braille production. Over the past five years the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) have been working with the ATCB, providing funding, equipment and institutional support for its programme
More
|
