Update June, 1996

The Computer Project For Low Vision & Blind
Children in Israel.

The Computer project will service the entire population of blind and low vision students in Israel, Jewish and Arab, in all educational settings, whether integrated, or special education facilities.

The total amount of low vision students in Israel is 1222.
The number of blind pupils: 238 children.
Total: 1450 pupils.

Most blind and low vision pupils are main streamed in regular school settings. The facilitation of the process of integration requires the adaptation of learning materials suited to the use of visually impaired persons which are equivalent to those used by sighted peers in the classroom. The process of education in regular school settings is mainly visual, utilizing ink print books, maps, diagrams, observation, computers, etc.
Computer based activities are intended to encourage the student to work directly and independently without the need to resort to a mediator.

Project Goals:

Primary Goals:

1. The provision of a channel of communications for every visually impaired and blind student, whether at home or at school.
2. The creation of an independent environment for the fostering of written two way communications skills with anyone in the world, blind or sighted. This includes the reading of books exams, newspapers, the work of colleagues, professional articles, electronic mail, etc.

Secondary Goals:

1. The exposure of blind and low vision students to visual, vocal, creative and cognitive stimuli to which they have been hitherto denied.
2. To encourage the use of universally recognized tools so as to achieve equality with the sighted public, thus increasing self esteem.
3. Attainment of the Primary project goals will provide the blind and low vision child access to a wide and unlimited channel of communications, which will enhance awareness of and participation in a broad range of social relationships.
4. Enhancement of vocational awareness and job seeking skills.
5. Broadening of vocational opportunities which heretofore were considered to be inaccessible to people with visual disabilities. Such areas include politics, law, programming, counseling, education, sales, etc.

      
Stage One of Computer Project for visually disabled
      Pupils:

At the Kneset - Minister of education, Prof Amnon Rubinstine, Member-Kneset Yosi Katz, Nili S. with her father(January 1996)

At present there are in Israel 1450 students, most of them are main streamed in regular schools. The development of computers and adaptive technology presents new opportunities for furthering the process of integration. The sooner the child is introduced to adaptive technology, the greater the opportunity will be for it to achieve full fledged citizenship in society as a useful and motivated individual.

With the initiative of Member-Kneset Yosi Katz, (in response to a appeal from Mr. Buki Oren, himself the parent of a blind child), and with the support of Member-Kneset Gedalyah Gal, and the Ministry of Education was provided with a grant. In response to this the Minister of education, Prof Amnon Rubinstine, doubled the amount of money of the first stage of the project.

At the outset of the project a steering committee was established chaired by Mr. Chaggai Yehudai, involving concerned people from the Ministry of Education and other interested parties which helped further the goals of the project.

The equipment which was purchased (hardware and software) is a basic lending center fulfilling the needs of the Blind and low vision population. The equipment distributed according to aptitude tests and adaptation of computerized environment. The aptitude tests started and held simultaneously in all regions.

The primary population being tested will be partially sighted students, ages 12-18, according to their abilities, functioning, and educational needs. The professionals involved and the regional computer coordinators will determine the location of the equipment, whether at students'Ýhome orÝschool or at the students' activity center. The lending center does not contain computers for the schoolsÝor students'Ýhome. But rather computers for the aptitudeÝtests, which were especially purchased.

Training:

The student, parents and siblings , and the supporting teacher will receive training regarding the equipment prior to receiving it.

MPRINT - Hardware and software which enables braille to print conversion. The blind student uses a regular Perkins braille writer and a special card which is placed in the base of the machine enables conversion to print using a regular printer which is attached to the brailler. This equipment enables transfer of Braille files into the computer as an ASCII file (using Hebrew, Arabic and English.)

Tamlan - Word processor- Word processor which enables enlarging up to double size, voice output, color definition (background and letter), fonts, spelling. The word processor meets the special needs, of the multi-disabled population and the younger students (Hebrew only).

Large Print Programs - These programs permit the partially sighted student independent direct work in a computerized environment, working with any interface used by his student-friends in the classroom. The partially sighted student is able to work with word processors, graphic programs (for most partially sighted students it is the first opportunity to draw), developmental programs. communication, multimedia and instruction in use of technology.

Enlargement programs enable enlargement of characters by a factor of 16, fixing two positions of the screen - positive and negative, enlarging programs for the DOS environment and the Windows environment. The enlarging programs in Hebrew, English and Arabic - Vista, Magic, Zoomtext.

The population

The population was divided into 4 main groups:

Blind students Kindergarten to third grade - in the first faze 40 Mprint machines were purchased. This purchasing constitutes 50% of the desired solution.

Blind students grades 4-12ÝÝThis large population remains without a desired solution, after researching all solutions which exist in the market. It was decided, after research and requests for information from 60 software and hardware companies in Israel, to set aside funding for developing a screen reading program in Hebrew and Arabic. Several sources responded to the challenge and one of them produced a prototype which works in Hebrew. The solution of speech output is applied successfully in the U.S.A and Europe (where languages which use Latin alphabets are spoken.) The speech output will be a major breakthrough which will enable the blind to communicate via written language with the sighted and at the same time to read any material which was written in print. The speech output is also a solution for many other populations such as people with Dyslexia, speech problems and others.

Partially sighted grades kindergarten to third grade - In the first stage 30 Word processing programs were purchased, a Word processing program which enables double size + speech output and definition of colors.

partially sighted grades 4-12 - In the first stage 190 enlargement programs (Vista, Zoomtext, Magic) were purchased. These programs enable enlargement by a factor of 16.

In order to use these programs efficiently 6 computers were purchased to be used in the central schools. These computers are the basis for aptitude tests and management. They also serve the partially sighted students in these centers.

A system for Tests and Management:

The system deals with administration and computerized evaluation. This system evaluates blind and low vision students according to the characteristic criteria of the population. The system is responsible for the loan of all computerized devices available to students with visual disabilities.
Students will be served on a regional basis, by the Regional coordinators.

The Centre for Care, Rehabilitation and Enrichment for visually impaired and blind students.