The blind leading the blind is no joke

We have always made fun about the blind leading the blind. RG however alerted me about ATRIEV, a group of "blind" computer enthusiasts leading the way for others. I am honored to include them in Pinoy Seminar's list of seminar and training providers.

"Established in 1994 by a group of blind computer enthusiast, ATRIEV is the Adaptive Technology for Rehabilitation, Integration, and Empowerment of the Visually Impaired, a computer school for the blind that facilitates access by visually impaired persons to post-secondary education, mainstream employment, and similar opportunities especially with the use of adaptive technology.

Adaptive or access technology refers to the range of specialized equipment, hardware and software applications, which are designed or modified to meet the special needs of individuals with visual impairment. Examples of access devices are voice synthesizers and screen access programs which provide text-to-speech output.

In 1999, ATRIEV pioneered and institutionalized a computer literacy program for the blind through Project ATTRAC or the Adaptive Technology for Training, Resource and Access Center. The project was designed to carry out training programs to prepare blind Metro Manila residents in the use of computers either for post-secondary education or for mainstream employment. In 2004, ATRIEV started training programs for trainers of visually impaired persons which include special education teachers, rehabilitation workers, university IT instructors and parents of blind children. In 2007, ATRIEV expanded its program to include college students from the provinces from as far north as the Mountain province to as far south as Cotabato.

To date, ATRIEV has directly trained over 350 blind and visually impaired adults ages 18 to 60. More than 100 blind grade school kids have also been introduced to the wonders of information technology through ATRIEV’s training programs for children. Over 200 special education teachers, rehabilitation workers, university instructors and parents of blind children have also benefited from the trainers’ training programs of ATRIEV. As a result of these trainers’ training, more than 500 visually impaired children and adults from the provinces have also received basic computer literacy instruction."