Mitra Netra Foundation The Mitra Netra Community Training and Learning Centre (CTLC) is an umbrella initiative, under which several ICT-based programmes and assistive products are developed to help visually impaired Indonesians, who have limited access to ICT. The photograph shows participants in a computer course for the blind at the CTLC in Jakarta

ICT success stories

Educational opportunities in Indonesia

The Mitra Netra Foundation, established in 1991 in Jakarta, Indonesia, promotes educational and other opportunities for the visually impaired, making particular use of information and communication technologies (ICT). It takes a partnership approach in its activities — partnership between the visually impaired and their sighted families and friends, and between the foundation and other private and public institutions.

The Mitra Netra Samsung “DigitAll hope” project is a public-private partnership supported by the Government of Indonesia and the Samsung company of the Republic of Korea. One of its main features, the ICT-based Reading Diversification Programme, is designed to promote education and job opportunities for the blind and partially sighted. The aim is to create a community of skilled and creative people who can fully participate in the information society.

The project has created more than 300 e-book titles for visually impaired people, as well as an online Braille library. The facility can also be used by Braille producers across Indonesia to cooperate and exchange materials. This will reduce production and distribution costs and is extremely suitable for Indonesia, which is an archipelago of thousands of islands.

In addition to e-books, copies can be printed using specially developed software: the Mitra Netra Braille Converter (MBC). This is an Indonesian version of Braille translation software developed by the foundation for use in producing reading materials for the visually impaired. MBC can convert Indonesian “Word” and “TXT” documents into Indonesian Braille, and is compatible with all types of Braille printer used in Indonesia. The foundation says that it has distributed free copies of the software to 175 Braille producers all over the country.

The foundation produces an online magazine targeted at the information needs of visually impaired people, and which is largely written by blind journalists. Also, four specialized digital libraries have been established jointly with various non-profit foundations in the cities of Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta and Makassar. Each is equipped with computers that have assistive technologies for Internet access, digital speech software, and so on. These can be used to extend connectivity to blind people, enable them to access the Internet independently, and communicate more actively and effectively with the world at large.

Internet access in Peru

Telefónica del Perú, a provider of fixed and mobile communications in Peru, launched in 2004 the “Llaqt@red” project to provide better access to telecommunications for people in rural areas. This includes Internet access, established by means of very small aperture terminal (VSAT) satellite ground stations connected to public telephones. So far, the project has reached 17 localities in Peru, covering an estimated 135 000 residents. The target for expansion is 800 localities in 2009.

The project is operated jointly with the Telefónica Foundation, a not-for-profit branch of the Telefónica Group, with the additional goal of supporting the social and economic development of people with disabilities. They are given priority by the Telefónica Foundation when it selects managers for public telephone facilities. In addition, special equipment is provided where there is a high proportion of disabled users.

The Llaqt@red project is designed to be self-sustaining. As well as fostering online access, it allows the Internet to serve as an important educational resource. This is particularly valuable in the case of people with disabilities, who may suffer from limited mobility and often belong to low-income groups. The project’s business model has been adapted to serve the special needs of disabled people, but it is expected to also help boost local economies and extend access to all.

ICT training for the visually impaired in Egypt

Being well acquainted with the problems encountered every day by blind and visually impaired people, the Parents Association for People with Visual Impairment (PAVI) in Egypt launched a special programme to improve their well-being. As ICT are increasingly considered to be a basic means of communication and social inclusion, the main focus of the programme is to ensure connectivity.

The project includes several clusters of activities. One is the organization of events to raise public awareness in three Egyptian governorates (Cairo, Gharbia and Qalubiya). In addition, and together with the IT Education Service of the United States company IBM, the association has developed training manuals and a programme to “train the trainers” throughout Egypt on ICT for people with visual impairments. After completion of the course, each certified trainer is assigned to a governorate to organize and provide training locally, under the supervision of PAVI and IBM. Also, an ICT Training Resource Centre for the Visually Impaired has been created, equipped with appropriate hardware and software. As well as specialist training, it provides services and know-how to various non-governmental organizations and institutions serving the visually disabled throughout Egypt. There are plans to extend the project to other parts of Egypt.