Adaptive Technology for Rehabilitation, Integration and Empowerment of the Visually Impaired

Where the blind can see through computers

MAJOR PARTNERS

Collaboration is one of the keys to ATRIEV’s success. This small computer school for the blind has found its niche in the blind and visually impaired community through the forging of strong partnerships. ATRIEV did not try to do things alone but instead pulled together The Support various government agencies, non-government organizations and private business enterprise to further its cause of giving the blind a brighter future through computer literacy. The following is a growing list of ATRIEV’s partners:

OVERBROOK/NIPPON NETWORK ON EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY (ON-NET)

Recently, developments in the field of information technology have resulted in many positive changes and many new challenges for persons who are blind or visually impaired. The Overbrook School for the Blind has been a leader in utilizing these new technologies in preparing its students to lead more productive and satisfying lives.

In 1985 Overbrook developed an International Program to train young blind students and teachers of the blind from throughout the world in the area of access technology. A number of these individuals have returned home to establish technology training programs for blind children and adults. Today, there is a growing network of individuals in Southeast Asia who are trained and working hard to make the benefits of these new technologies available to blind children and adults throughout the region.

In 1998, The Nippon Foundation (Japan) created the Nippon International Blind and Visually Impaired Persons Leadership Program Fund (at the Overbrook School for the Blind to assist in making the benefits of new developments in access technology more widely available to blind and visually impaired persons, worldwide. This collaboration gave birth to the Overbrook-Nippon Network on Educational Technology (ON-NET). Southeast Asia has been selected as the first region in which this new initiative will be implemented.

ATRIEV, because of its focus in access technology, was one of the first organizations supported by ON-NET in the Philippines. In 1999, when ATRIEV was still struggling, making use of the personal equipment and software of the organization’s founders, Mr. Lawrence F. Campbell, ON-NET Director, already saw the potential of the organization. “When I first met the members who had founded ATRIEV and were trying to get it going,” Campbell begins, “I concluded that this was a group of people who really had vision. “”They could see how technology could positively impact in the lives of blind and visually impaired Filipinos,” he continues, “and they really had vision of what they wanted to do in terms of trying to create a training center and most importantly, employment opportunities for blind and low vision Filipinos”.

ON-NET was instrumental in institutionalizing the computer training programs of ATRIEV. ON-NET, together with STI Educational Services Group, was the very first institution that provided the funds and the direction needed to carry out ATRIEV’s dream of making computer-based information accessible and available to the Filipino Blind.

After the initial ON_NET support, the rest is history. “They have really grown from a small, what I would call a Mom and Pop operation, into a middle-sized non government organization.” Campbell relates. “As with all kinds of organizations, those kinds of transitions and changes are not easy,” he recalls, “But they’ve gone through it. They’ve worked hard. They’ve opened themselves up to lots of external input and opinions from other people and I think the organization’s on the move and it’s growing.” He concludes.

Christoffel-Blindenmission / Christian Blind Mission (CBM)

CBM was founded by the German Pastor Ernst Jakob Christoffel in 1908, who because of his Christian faith cared for the needs of children with disability and orphans, in Malatia, Turkey and Tabriz and Isfahan, Iran.

In 2007, after 100 years of expertise, CBM is supporting 1,016 projects in 113 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. Through its partner organisations, CBM currently reaches 18 million people and aims to reach many more in the coming years. Ten Member Associations support a joint programme of work with a total annual budget of about 60 million Euro, enabling partners to develop services and also advocating for the mainstreaming of disability into development cooperation. Worldwide, approximately 650,000 people donate funds toward the work of CBM.

In 2004, ATRIEV was privileged to be part of CBM’s growing partners. CBM has provided a five-year grant to ATRIEV helping the organization move towards professionalism and institutional development. Through the CBM support, ATRIEV was able to hire its full time administrative staff as well as support its day-to-day operations. CBM support has also enabled ATRIEV to reach out to students beyond Metro Manila. More importantly, CBM has funded computer literacy training programs carried out by ATRIEV specifically for teachers of visually impaired children and adults. This training of trainers helped ATRIEV reach out to blind and low vision individuals from the provinces.

Working with persons with disabilities, CBM advocates for their inclusion in all aspects of society.

The National Computer Center (NCC)

The National Computer Center (NCC) is furthering its advocacy to help the persons with disabilities to attain their fullest potential and to become active contributors and participants in nation building through the use of information and communications technology (ICT).

In 2004, NCC entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Adaptive Technology for Rehabilitation, Integration, and Empowerment of the Visually Impaired (ATRIEV), a non-government organization. Initially, NCC has incorporated within its training programs for ICT trainers in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), a subject on adaptive technology for educators of visually-impaired persons (VIPs).

"Since we have partnerships with SUCs, we thought of incorporating the subject on adaptive technology for the SUC trainers, so they will know how to handle visually-impaired students, who would want to learn how to use the computer, access the Internet and the like," says Angelo Timoteo M. Diaz de Rivera, Director General of the NCC.

In 2005, the course on adaptive technology has been offered as a separate module altogether. This time, special education teachers, rehabilitation workers and parents of blind children were invited to participate in the training. ATRIEV has prepared and implemented the courseware for the module on adaptive technology for educators of VIPs in accordance with NCC standards. . ATRIEV has provided qualified and competent instructors for the module.

The government recognizes that persons with disabilities encounter many obstacles that prevent them from being part of the mainstream of society. Thus, the NCC believes that there is really a need to train those who will directly be involved in teaching the VIPs. The partnership between NCC and ATRIEV has produced qualified computer literacy special education teachers who are now transferring their skills and knowledge to blind students from as far north as Baguio to as far south as Roxas City, Capiz. To date, NCC and ATRIEV conducts adaptive technology training for trainers three times a year, two batches in summer and one batch during the semestral break in October.

"We should change the people's attitude towards our visually-impaired countrymen. We should not see them as less capable. We should definitely use ICT to help uplift their lives so that the society will no longer brand them as 'nuisance'", ends Diaz de Rivera.

TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (TESDA)

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is the government agency tasked to manage and supervise technical education and skills development (TESD) in the Philippines. It was created by virtue of Republic Act 7796, otherwise known as the “Technical Education and Skills Development Act of 1994”. The said Act integrated the functions of the former National Manpower and Youth Council (NMYC), the Bureau of Technical-Vocational Education of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (BTVE-DECS) and the Office of Apprenticeship of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

The fusion was meant to reduce overlapping in skills development activities initiated by various public and private sector agencies, and to provide national directions for the country's technical-vocational education and training (TVET) system. Hence, a major thrust of TESDA is the formulation of a comprehensive development plan for middle-level manpower based on the National Technical Education and Skills Development Plan. This plan shall provide for a reformed industry-based training program that includes apprenticeship, dual training system and other similar schemes.

ATRIEV’s partnership with TESDA stemmed from the efforts of then Tesda CAMANAVA District Director, now Region III Regional Director, Martha Hernandez. Ms. Hernandez involvement with the disabled sector began in the early ‘80s with the Tulay project of the Bureau of Local employment (BLE). Through such project, she met ATRIEV’s President, Tony Llanes.

In 2001, Martha Hernandez renewed ties with Mr. Llanes and eventually played an active role in the development of ATRIEV. Through her efforts, the first computer-based scholarship examination for the Private Educational Scholarship fund Assistance (PESFA) was conducted. Four blind ATRIEV graduates were given PESFA scholarship. One of the most prominent recipients of such scholarship is ATRIEV’s Training Instructor, former Webmaster and Liliane Mediator, Lourdes Borgonia.

The TESDA-ATRIEV partnership continued through conduct of skills competition, workshops on competency-based curriculum development and assessment examination of ATRIEV trainers. ATRIEV is working on the accreditation of its PC Operations module to further uplift its training programs for the blind.

Liliane Foundation Philippines

The Liliane Foundation of the Netherlands aims at giving children and youngsters with disabilities, up to 25 years, in developing countries access to medical and social rehabilitation.

One characteristic of this assistance is that it is provided in collaboration with local contact persons through direct, small-scaled and tailor-made help, supporting the children’s personal growth and furthering the children’s integration in society.

The work of Liliane Foundation in the Philippines began in 1985 with Sr. Agnetia Naval, SFIC, as a mediator of Liliane Foundation. With the development of activities in the Philippines, a National Coordinating Office (NCO) was established in 1994 with Sr. Agnetia as the National Coordinator. More than 26,119 disabled children and youth have been helped by Liliane Foundation since 1985.

In 2007, atriev qualified as one of Liliane’s growing partners. To date, 25 ATRIEV students have received direct support from Liliane from tuition fees, transportation and meal subsidy and assistive devices. More than 15 members of the 2007 graduating class are direct beneficiaries of Liliane Foundation Philippines.

APEC Digital Opportunity Center (ADOC)

ADOC is an ambitious four-year project initiated by Chinese Taipei in 2004 to address the issue of the "digital divide", a problem brought about by the uneven distribution of knowledge and access to information and communication technology (ICT). ADOC aims to bridge the digital divide within the APEC community through training and trading. The project was initiated in direct response to the Brunei Goals set out by leaders from the APEC community to triple the number of Internet users with in the APEC community by 2005 and to enable citizens in every community to have either individual or community access to the Internet by 2010. Seven APEC economies currently participate in the ADOC project including Chile, Indonesia, Peru, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand.

On July 14, 2005, ADOC launched its Manila Partnership with the Commission on Information and Communications Technology at the National Computer Center Building with the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement by CICT Commissioner Emmanuel C. Lallana and APEC Senior Officer John Chen.

The ADOC program in the Philippines will run for three years. Since the signing of MOA, several similar ADOC centers were established within Metro Manila namely: Sandiwaan Center for Learning in Smokey Mountain, the e-Care in Bagong Henerasyon, Quezon City, and the ADOC e-Learning Digital Center at the Lakan Dula High School in Tondo, Manila. These various computer laboratories are equipped with thin-client computers, projector, a scanner, digital camera, and printer.

ATRIEV has benefited from the free use of the ADOC Center at NCC and the E-Care Center in Quezon City. Since 2005, ATRIEV’s Trainers’ training program has been conducted at the ADOC Center at the National Computer Center. The trainers’ training program is held three times a year which aims to teach special education teachers, rehabilitation specialists, IT instructors of state universities and colleges techniques at teaching blind persons how to use computers. The E-Care Center, on the other hand, is the host of ATRIEV Parent-Child Digital Team Learning program which teaches computer literacy to a parent and child pair. This one-of-a-kind training for parents and their kids is conducted every summer.

IBM Philippines

From a company that distributed such products as butcher weighing scales and time clocks, IBM evolved into the single biggest information technology company in the world today in terms of product line, revenue and workforce.

Today, IBM has been called the biggest dot.com company as it transforms itself into a successful e-business. IBM's strong push and implementation of e-business has earned it the reputation of "Internet Business Machines". IBM will continue to transform itself and help its clients do the same even as global companies become e-businesses.

IBM Philippines started as a company of distributing three IBM products in 1925. On July 20, 1937, it was officially registered as Watson Business Machines, a subsidiary of the IBM World Trade Corporation in the Philippines. It officially adopted the name IBM Philippines in 1954.

Through the years, it has become the leading supplier of information technology ardware, software and services in the country and transformed itself into one of the top 500 corporations of the Philippines. It is known for the quality of its products and services in a long-standing tradition of excellence, customer satisfaction, and commitment to business ethics and integrity. With more than 300 employees and two subsidiary companies engaged in IT services, CITE and ACI, it has the largest pool of technical support staff and hardware/software availability engineers in the country. It has also an IT College joint venture, Asia Pacific College, that is closely linked to business and prepares skilled IT Professionals for the industry.

This joint venture with the Asia Pacific College gave deserving blind graduates of ATRIEV to avail of scholarship grants to a two-year diploma course. Please visit APC for more details.

Another IBM subsidiary, IBM-Daksh has given employment opportunities to ATRIEV graduates. IBM Daksh was established as a result of the acquisition of Daksh eServices by IBM Corporation in April 2004 to serve as a global hub to handle business process transformation for clients from across the world.

IBM Daksh

Over the last five years, IBM Daksh has grown from a business start-up into the number one employer of choice in the Indian BPO industry, with a staff of more than 20,000 professionals in India and the Philippines. And what’s more IBM-Daksh is backed by the global strength of the IBM network.

IBM Daksh isn’t just the first choice for world-class businesses. It's also the first choice for the brightest and best team players who are looking for world-class career opportunities. One ATRIEV graduate, Annalyn Joy Concepcion-San Pedro is given that chance at making a career at IBM-Daksh. Annalyn Joy is a graduate of ATRIEV in 2002 and has worked as a social worker in a government agency. Her new career at IBM-Daksh will be her first job as a recruitment specialist. Annalyn Joy is the newest addition to the long list of ATRIEV graduates who have qualified in the corporate arena.

World bank office manila (wbom)
Knowledge for development center (KDC)

A new and unique knowledge center that gives access to development information is now open to people with disabilities. Recently retrofitted and equipped with modern adaptive equipment and facilities, the Knowledge for Development Center (KDC), which has been operating since 2002, is now more accessible to the blind and visually impaired, deaf, and other persons with disabilities (PWDs). The KDC is on the ground floor of The Taipan Place, Emerald Avenue, Ortigas Center, and Pasig City.

All accessibility equipment and facilities were chosen with the help of ATRIEV (Adaptive Technology for Rehabilitation, Integration, and Empowerment of the Visually Impaired), a local non-government organization working with PWDs, and in consultation with other PWD organizations. ATRIEV also assisted in the setup of the equipment as well as the conduct of disability awareness and sensitivity workshops in all the KDCs, nationwide. “The facilities at the KDC help bridge the very wide gap in information access between PWDs and those who are not. Before, I had to rely heavily on sighted persons to send, store, and retrieve information. Today, modern communication technology bridges that gap and this is available for free at the KDC. The KDC is an excellent example of accessibility and should be replicated nationwide and across the globe,” said Antonio D. Llanes, Jr., who has been blind since birth and is now president of ATRIEV.

Joachim von Amsberg, the former World Bank Philippines Country Director, said, “With the new equipment and facilities at the KDC, we are trying to address the need for knowledge and information of people with disabilities. This is a center where we hope to see the blind ‘read,’ parents and other caregivers find information about nurturing children with learning disabilities, where people on wheelchairs access the center freely, and where the deaf spend time on their research. What’s even more important is that the KDC can be a social hub where PWDs can come for participatory dialogue, network with other sectors, and build partnerships."

Some of these equipment and facilities include:

• Screen magnification for people with low vision
• Screen reader for the totally blind
• Braille display, Braille translator, and Braille embosser for the blind
• Track ball mouse for those with cerebral palsy and other psychomotor disabilities
• Wide space or path of travel for those on wheelchairs
• Books for parents of children with disabilities
• Flashing fire alarm for the hearing impaired

Disability affects the lives of more than 600 million people globally, the majority living in developing countries. It is therefore essential that disabled people are included in development efforts in order to improve the economic and human welfare of millions of poor people in the developing world. Disabled people are often excluded from school or the workplace and are forced to depend on others in the family and community for physical and economic support. Based on 2000 figures, there are close to one million PWDs in the Philippines.

The KDC is open to the public from Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM.

TeleTech

For over 23 years, TeleTech has managed the customer experience for some of the worlds best-known brands. Our focus is on managing business processes and customer interactions that drive an optimal customer experience and to associate that experience with our clients brands. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, TeleTechs global network extends across 80 customer management centers throughout North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Africa and Latin America. Everyday TeleTech's 40,000 worldwide employees in 18 countries interact with 3.5 million customers in 29 different languages to perform a wide range of back-office processes and help our clients respond to their customers via the phone, Web, mail, email, and automated solutions.

In 2001, TeleTech began operations in the Philippines in Fort Bonifacio. Three years later, on March 31, 2004, a second customer management center (CMC) was inaugurated in Bay City, Pasay City. Since it started operating in the Philippines in 2001, the company's overall operations have grown an average of 150 percent per year. Teletech started opening up offices in Metro Manila but has since expanded to provincial areas such as Cebu, Negros, Bacolod, Lipa, Bacoor and Dumaguete. With a total of 10 BPO centers in the country, TeleTech is now the country's biggest outsourcing operator with 20 percent of its global operations based in the country.

With this rapid expansion, recruitment personnel are pressured to fill in the seats needed for the CMC branches. One member of the recruitment team is Ma. Criselda, “Krissy” Bisda, a totally blind graduate of ATRIEV. Krissy is the first blind person who has qualified to work in a corporate environment. Despite the work pressure, Krissy has managed to meet the standards of the company.

For a detailed story about Krissy Bisda, please visit