Intel announces initiative for training blind citizens

Intel India, as part of the Intel Community Development Program, has launched its technology training program at the National Association for the Blind (NAB). The program is designed to enable blind citizens to participate in the information revolution and take advantage of the educational and e-commerce opportunities associated with computing and Internet. 

Through the Intel Technology Training Center, NAB hopes to train 100 people every year to provide job-oriented training in Microsoft Office, Internet and computer related technologies to unemployed youth and students, using specialized screen reading and screen enlargement software. NAB Delhi is working with the regional NAB branches and other such institutes engaged in training the visually impaired to replicate the program throughout India through training kits and workshops.

"The ability to use computers has become indispensable for educational, social, careeristic and cultural advancements, and technology literacy is important for all sections of society. Intel aims to provide the benefits of technology to underserved students through programs such as the training center that provide opportunities to become technology literate," said Avtar Saini, Director, South Asia, Intel Asia Electronics. 

Speaking at the event Jagdish Kapur, President, NAB Delhi, said, "Through this initiative NAB will make information technology accessible to visually handicapped persons with a view to give them independence and equal opportunities". He elaborated, "The specialized training with screen reading software, OCR's and screen magnifiers enable blind persons to have complete excess to Internet, word processing, spread sheets and data base management which opens career opportunities as programmers or medical transcribers in the IT industry."

The first chapter of NAB was established in Mumbai in 1952 and now has 65 district branches in 19 states. NAB aims to overcome the implications of blindness and low vision and provides diverse ranges of activities to ensure that the visually impaired can lead a full social life with proper guidance, education, training and employment opportunities.