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  • 6 months ago
The Trinidad and Tobago Blind Welfare Association is appealing to Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar to ensure that blind and visually impaired students are afforded the same educational opportunities as every other child in the country.

More from Nicole M Romany.
Transcript
00:00Executive Officer of the Blind Welfare Association, Kenneth Surat, wants immediate steps to ensure
00:07that blind and visually impaired students receive equitable access to education.
00:13He tells the TV6 Morning Edition children with visual impairments continue to face systemic
00:19barriers in the educational system, including limited access to assistive technology, a
00:26shortage of trained special education teachers and the absence of inclusive learning materials
00:32including laptops.
00:34Someone who is blind, and remember blindness as a spectrum, we start from total blindness
00:38like myself, I don't even have blind perception.
00:41So in order for I to use a computer, I need text-to-speech software.
00:46Text-to-speech software is like JAWS or NVDA or text-to-speech software.
00:51What it does, it takes text off the screen and converts it into synthesized speech that
00:56comes up onto my computer speakers and I can hear what's happening.
01:00He says blind and visually impaired students deserve the same opportunities to learn, thrive
01:06and contribute to society as any other child.
01:09We are hoping that universally across the board, children who are blind, whether adult or children,
01:15we want assistive technology to be at no cost to all of us.
01:19My Braille display fighter function in my office, Marlon, is $20,000.
01:23You know, just to get the software, the text-to-speech software is $800 U.S.
01:27And what we're saying, no child must be left behind and we mustn't put, that is too expensive
01:31for the child who is blind.
01:32According to Surat, inclusion in education is not just about access to classrooms, but access
01:38to meaningful participation, achievement and dignity.
01:43It is cheaper to educate a child who is blind and send them to school, let them get a good
01:48job functioning in the society than giving them disability grant.
01:52We saw the impact, especially with Baris Sagan marriage, when introduced school for East Indian
01:56women.
01:57Today we have a East Indian woman who is the Prime Minister.
01:59Just recently, TV6 did an interview at the Blind Welfare Association where we were given
02:05a demonstration of how the Braille laptop and assistive technologies work.
02:10In May, the Prime Minister said her government has approved the procurement of laptops and
02:16accessories like AI tutors and educational videos for students entering secondary schools
02:22in the academic year September 2025.
02:25She said it was a promise made and one she intends to keep.
02:30Nicole M Romany, TV6 News.
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