00:00Children with disabilities now have increased access to digital technologies
00:05through the Digicel Foundation Innovative Labs project which was opened
00:12at the school for the blind on Friday. CEO of the Digicel Foundation Penny
00:18Gomez says the labs seek to assist students with varying disabilities to
00:23better access and to be comfortable using technology. This lab along with
00:29four other special schools across the country will be equipped with computers
00:34virtual reality headsets smart boards and various devices. They may need for
00:40instance a foot mouse because they may not be able to use their hands. They may
00:44need the jaws where they can actually read the screens. So there are other
00:48assistive devices that we help them with. Then the smart boards that became
00:52especially useful for them because they're learning differently. A simple
00:56thing like the VR technology. These facilities are equipped with them
01:00because what we may take for granted and for me I've been in a VR space where
01:04it's very unsettling for me persons with disabilities we found it's very akin to
01:08them. So all those assistive technology type devices it's something that they
01:13can really use to just to just learn. Initially conceived as a one-year
01:19initiative to commemorate the Digicel Foundation's 10-year anniversary in 2022
01:25the foundation launched a second call for applications. Ms. Gomez says the
01:31innovative labs also represent the foundation's commitment to provide all
01:36that is required so that children with disabilities can fully participate in
01:43the digital economy. In our 10th year we spent almost a million TT dollars. This
01:48year we spent about four hundred thousand and in our next FY we
01:52expect to spend a bit more. Every time we meet with them we make sure that each
01:57school has what they need. So you will find for instance that some some schools
02:02may want a projector versus a smartphone. Some of them may require a
02:06different kind of assistive technology but whatever they want they get. But at
02:10the very basic we make sure that they have their devices laptops or desktops
02:14and they have connectivity and then we add all the other trimmings so that they
02:18really they can boast and say that they have state-of-the-art technology. Ms. Gomez
02:24reiterated how important it is for the foundation to help level the playing
02:29field for children with disabilities. Principals from the various schools
02:34expressed their gratitude to the Digicel Foundation for providing the necessary
02:39tools for students with disabilities. The other schools that benefited from the
02:44initiative were Lady Hochoi School in Gasparillo, Princess Elizabeth School,
02:50Palmyra Learning Center and the National Center for Persons with Disabilities.
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