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Ò This is the research hub where people first come to try and find solutions that are ideal for them. Some have solutions that come off the shelf while others have to first go through a process of trial and error to see which suits them bestÓ Anirban Lahiri, Senior Assistive Technology Specialist, Mada
were helpful for me at that stage of my development, while this Centre equips me to face the world,” he says. He is currently pursuing a degree in Media Studies from QU but has already started training with Al jazeera Children’s Channel and aspires to be a TV presenter. Ask him why and he says, “I did that once for QTV and loved every moment of it.” With the tools of Assistive Technology (AT), the world is his stage and both his aspirations and the opportunities can be limitless. Qatar Today visits Mada and learns about barriers in the field of ICT and how they can be lifted to aid the challenged.
teChNoLoGy At mADA
A world without barriers
Enter Mada and you are in a different world, one that is without any physical barriers, making it easily accessible to those in wheelchairs. Accessibility, physical and virtual, is the focus for Mada. Mada (which means horizon in Arabic) is the region’s first AT Centre. “People with disabilities have infinite capabilities and should be active members of the community,” believes Ahmed Habib, Head of Communications, Awareness and Outreach, Mada, who has foreseen most of the queries, and has answers to all of them. Being a journalist and differentlyabled makes him the best spokesperson, someone who understands the difficulties and helps the team in identifying barriers he faces. “ICT is a powerful tool, more so for the differently-abled and hence we try and
Isbar, a computer software that reads the screen for the blind, is available at Mada. Printed books as well as electronic files can be read through this device. With a screenreader a blind user is able to access the Internet and read Arabic and English websites. Switch solutions, another AT, is for those with limited physical movement. With this technology, the computer can be controlled with a single movement. Ò A switch solution can even be used if the only movements you have full control of are that of your tongue, an eyeblink or by sipping and puffing,Ó says Lahiri. Habib is the best person to demonstrate this equipment, says Lahiri.
With a puff Habib Ô clicksÕ on a command and says, Ò Now you can see why training is important. Giving this technology to a person and saying, Ô Good luckÕ will not serve the purpose as this needs to be properly demonstrated and tried out to fully understand its potential. Ò The lack of accessibility in ICT makes working on a complex desktop setting seem like a big jump. Hence we have the Square, a simplified operating system, which can initially make someone who is new to computers adapt to the change well. Imagine the impact of all this on someone who cannot even move his arms and has had no access to the outside world. He can now go on the internet, chat with his friend...Ó
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