In the Coimbatore District Library, a person is providing free computer training to the blind people, independently without any assistance. The man named Sivachandra is himself visually impaired. He has completed his MA in English, and is currently working as an Axis Ability Tester in an MNC company. He has a software called NVDA, which is available on the website for free; through the help of this software, he is volunteering for the visually impaired. Sivachandra had vision until the age of 11 years. After that he lost his vision. Despite being blind, he conducts numerous classes for the blind, which also includes how to navigate roads and how to use mobile phones.
He is providing the training at free of cost and there is no age limit set for those who are attending his classes. The reason for him to choose this path is because there was no one to train him when he lost his sight and therefore, he is volunteering to train the visually impaired individuals like him.
Before providing training to the blind, Sivachandra took training himself at an institute called Enable India in Bangalore. He said in an interview that a computer training program is offered by the Entertainment Foundation at District Centre.
This is a six-month training course, which is conducted only on holidays from 9:30 am -5:00 pm. About 10 college students are availing this training, where they are learning how to use the computer. Sivachandra also added that students can also bring their individual laptops in the class.
There is also an open-source software in the computer which is termed as a screen reader, and it is installed in all the computers. With this software the visually impaired are able to learn computers. This software verbally narrates everything whatever is displayed on the screen. Users can listen to the audio narration and use it accordingly. Following this, it can only be used with the help of a keyboard only.
They are also providing mobility training apart from computer training to the visually impaired individuals, where they are instructed how to navigate roads. There are other teachers for English as well who teach them the language.
This training is not only provided to the blind, but also to the people suffering from multiple disabilities like the people who have hearing disability. Sivachandra again claimed that they also help facilitate employment opportunities.
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