The Thabo Mbeki Development Trust for Disabled People (TMDTDP) has launched a pilot phase of the Assistance Devices Programme, which will enable employed persons with disabilities to access "assistance" technology.
Depending on what an applicant`s disability is, they will be entitled to assistance devices, such as software packages for the hearing impaired and Braille notebooks or PDAs for the visually impaired, says Kingsley Preston, product support manager for Neville Clarence Technology (NCTec), a technology supplier for the partially sighted or blind, that is involved in the initiative. The equipment will assist the disabled to be more equal with their non-disabled colleagues, especially in the rapidly developing field of technology, he says.
The programme enables disabled people to further improve their skills with technology, concurs Albert Peters, an activist in the field of blindness and member of the National Council for the Blind, at provincial and national level. It will allow them to maintain and sustain their employment or improve their job situation and enable them to move up the ladder, he says.
"The technology can also assist students with their studies," says Preston.
One of the more popular devices is the BrailleNote PK, which is a versatile, all-inclusive PDA device, that includes a word processor, Web browser and e-mail, says Preston.
The BrailleNote PK is the world`s smallest personal digital assistant for the blind. The 18-cell model combines a crisp, high-definition Braille display with clear responsive speech output and also features Bluetooth technology, USB functionality and WiFi connectivity, according to Humanware.
The availability of these devices is limited within SA, hence the TMDTDP`s involvement in making this kind of imported equipment more accessible to people, he says.
NCTec will provide people wishing to be considered for the programme with application forms via e-mail and contact information for enquiries. The TMDTDP will confirm in writing to applicants the receipt of their application form and provide applicants with three suitable options of devices.
The closing date for applications is 30 November.
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