Who says that those who are blind cannot go online and use the Internet like a normal person would?

Well, one living proof that even the blind can find his way online is Haber Tarala who is 18 years old. Tarala has been blind since the day he was born. Now, with a special computer software, Tarala can now access the Internet and use a computer. In fact, if you do see Tarala, you may not even realize that he’s blind.

Of course, Tarala had to have a background on computers first and how they worked. He was able to get this knowledge from a computer school made just for the blind in Quezon City. This school is the Adaptive Technology for Rehabilitation, Integration and Empowerment of the Visually Impaired (or Atriev). This school has given Tarala the knowledge and the skills that he needs to be one of the world’s netizens who would surf the Internet, do his research, chat with friends, send e-mails, and do all other stuff you could do online. Tarala is happy with the skills and the knowledge that he has so far amassed ever since being a student at Atriev.

Using a screen reader which also is a voice synthesizer, the program actually “reads” and “describes” what can be found on the computer. This program used by the blind to go online is called the Job Access with Speech (or more commonly referred to as JAWS).

Of course, people behind Atriev are proud behind the technology that they have developed and is now offering those who are vision impaired. The founder and president of the school, Tony Llanes, shares, “In our computer school, we make information available for the blind. This is the school where the blind can see through computers.”

[Via Inquirer.net]

Posted in: Internet, Software