Hi-Tech Visual Technologies Resource Centre

Faculty of Special Needs and Rehabilitation – Project

Funder: Royal Dutch Visio

Background

The Hi-Tech Visual Technologies Resource Centre is a centre of assistive devices and technologies for partially sighted and blind persons. The Visual Technologies Resource Centre at an initiative under the All WE See Is Possibility (AWSIP) Programme that was launched in 2016 as a cooperation between Kyambogo University (Faculty of Special Needs and Rehabilitation) Uganda and Royal Dutch Visio from the Netherlands. The Hi-Tech Visual Technologies Resource Centre was established to offer practical training in technologies and assistive devices for teaching and learning of persons with visual impairment. The Hi-Tech centre supports resource rooms in ten (10) secondary schools, twenty-two (22) primary schools, and three (3) universities in Uganda.

Implementation Partners

The Hi-Tech Visual Technologies Resource Centre offers services to various institutions in Uganda namely; Primary and Secondary Schools (mainstream and/or inclusive, and Special), Parents and Caregivers, Persons with Visual Impairment, Hospitals (eye health-care services), Ministry of Education and Sports, Ministry of Health, Uganda National Association of the Blind (UNAB), and International and National nongovernmental organizations in the field of eye care services provision.

Mission: To be a centre of excellence in assistive technologies services for persons with visual impairment and stakeholders in Uganda and sub-Saharan Africa.

Our Programme Objectives

The Hi-Tech Visual Technologies Resource Centre has two (2) main objectives;

To provide affordable assistive technology devices for teaching and learning of persons with visual impairment in educational institutions in Uganda.
To build the capacity of learners with visual impairment, teachers, parents and visual impairment services providers in using assistive technology devices for teaching and learning.

Geographical Area of Operations in Uganda

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Our Theory of Change- The All We See Is Possibilities (AWSIP) Programme

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Achievements and Successes

Accessibility and Affordability of Assistive Devices

23 resource rooms established and equipped with advanced assistive devices in 23 AWSIPP programme primary schools.
In-service and Installation of Index Embosser (Basic D V5, Everest-D V5, Fan Fold-D V5 and Braille Box V5)
One on one repair services for Assistive Technology Devices provided to students.
A toll-free phone number put in place for remote consultations and services provision to visually impaired learners.

Capacity Building in Visual Impairment Assistive Technology Devices

145 stakeholders received continuous sensitization and benchmarking at the Hi-Tech Resource room at Kyambogo University, Uganda
42 teachers (20 secondary and 22 primary) were trained on information communication technologies (ICTs) use and maintenance of assistive devices for students with visual impairment.
34 inspectors of schools and education officers in charge of special needs were sensitized about the available assistive devices that people with low vision and blindness can use to access information

Our Impact

Our Impact 1: Accessibility and Affordability of Assistive Devices

Reduced number of learners who are blind and/or with low vision depend on sighted peers for accessing information and educational materials.
Increased numbers of learners with visual impairment who can independently read books/journals and library services.
Improved access to quality education services by persons with visual impairment through the use of assistive technologies in the resource rooms.

Our Impact 2: Capacity Building in Visual Impairment Assistive Technology Devices

Increased number of teachers/ students with practical basic knowledge and skills in usage and maintenance of assistive devices for visually impaired persons.
More stakeholders appreciate the need to equip resource rooms with assistive devices and provide personal devices.
The assistive technologies for teaching and learning for visually impaired persons has been adopted as a good practice by Cyber School Technologies Solutions (CSTS) Uganda.
Success stories of students with visual impairment at Kyambogo University has inspired Cyber School Technologies Solutions (CSTS) Uganda to provide assistive devices to students with disabilities at the university.