Social Justice Issues

Computer Literacy for the Blind

In its efforts to help the deprived of sight, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) through its Center for Intelligent Machines (CIM) developed a computer that displays Braille.

Prof. Vincent Hayward, director of CIM came up with the idea of a machine with refreshable Braille displays on a keyboard-like pad upon which the user can place his hand. The computer monitor display is converted to a line of Braille text, and the user runs his finger on the series of Braille dots. These machines use groups of eight dots instead of the traditional six to accommodate special characters.

These machines with Braille displays cost from $9,500 to $17,000. Not affordable by just anyone, really, but this move on the part of the CIB is a big leap and indeed a big help for the blind to be able to use the computer and access the Internet.

Prof. Hayward, with the help of Jerome Pasquero and Vincent Levesque who are also in the development team, are now designing an improved Braille display tool which is two square centimeter in size and displays two lines of eights dots.

In the Philippine setting, we can't really expect anything like this to happen any time soon. Computer literacy for the blind is in the far end of the list of social justice issues to be addressed in our country today. This issue however, is one that needs to be at least considered. But the fact is, we have a whole lot of bigger and more pressing ones to tackle.