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Confident, optimistic geeks-to-be

Photo: Vipin Chandran

Big vision A group of visually challenged persons with their trainers on the left

A group of visually challenged young men and women are busy with their computers, emailing, reading, typing and researching by surfing the net. There’s absolutely no catch in this. And it’s no magic either. They are none other than the highly motivated students undergoing six months training programme in computer orientation and personality development in the space provided by Infopark, under the aegis of RCG-SRVC Foundation. “They read with their ears- that’s the only difference. And for this, they rely on the screen reading software namely JAWS (Job Access with Speech)- as simple as that,” says Balaram, the chief trainer, also visually challenged.

After the tea break, it’s the personality development session. “Visualise. You are in front of a 1,000 people. Look at them and speak as if you were asked to address the gathering at the valedictory day function.” The trainer eggs him on. “Come on, speak confidently. You have to show your employers how good you are.” And so Sumesh gives it another go and speaks with authority. He says, “This programme teaches us the skills on computer applications like MS Word, Excel, Internet browsing etc. In addition to this we are trained in mobility using ‘white cane’, personality development and language skills.” He ends with a polite thank you to the Rotary Club of Cochin Global and Society for the Rehabilitation of the Visually Challenged, the NGOs who are responsible for this course that will enable the likes of Sumesh to find employment and inclusion in a society that’s largely unaware of the capabilities of such a resource pool.

“The trained group will be proficient at three skill sets: computers, language and mobility skills. With this they can perform any desk job using computers such as telemarketing, medical transcription, BPO work etc. where graphics or design is not involved,” says MC Roy, closely involved with the programme and Project Director.

Sensing the incertitude of a layman about the claims of the group being computer savvy, trainer Balaram who is totally blind and who is a chess champion browses and begins to read the online newspaper and invites one over for a class in Excel. He goes through the application with the ease of any sighted person, answering an SMS on his cell that operates on software called TALKS.

The rest in the group too explain the different applications they are mastering, while Ancy, the other trainer and an MBA, who has partial vision helps them out in editing, emailing, familiarising themselves with the keyboard, turning on their machines, plugging in the wires, the headphones, all routine work that they learn by practice. Data entry, researching and giving information are jobs that they can do with ease. The initial hurdle is familiarising themselves with the American accent of the software and proficiency in English. Once comfortable with the key strokes, which act as the mouse and head set which act as the eyes, the trainees move ahead quickly.

“There are so many advantages in employing them,” says Roy giving a list: the first being ’loyalty’. Once set in their work place they will not job hop. As there is no visual distraction their productivity and efficiency are high with focussed attention given to their work.” He adds that out of sheer necessity the visually challenged develop superior skills like sharp memory, listening and retention skills. “The Centre was a long cherished dream of SRVC which came true with Rotary Club of Cochin Global. We hope that all the students will get employed after the course in various companies in the Infopark Campus itself,” says Dr. John, president of RCG-SRVC.

Merina George, heading the centre, is upbeat as the training progresses and can feel the confidence of the group rising. She says, “The key is not to accommodate them when they are job-ready, but to grab them. They will be superior to their sighted counterparts.” Agrees Sunil J. Mathew, project co-ordinator and a volunteer at the centre, in the weekends, “The ultimate goal of course is to find proper employment for the trainees and to create an inclusive atmosphere.” And that’s where the main issue with a programme like this lies.

It is not with the trainees or the disability but with the public at large who are unaware of how to deal with a special group like this. Questions and awkwardness abounds. It is only when we include the differently-abled in our lives will we learn to deal with the disability.

Once we are confident with them we will see them take the bus to work and it is only then that the powers that be will be forced to take a look at the marginalised special groups. Only then will ramparts, disabled-friendly buildings and public spaces appear. Till then the works by organisations like the RCG-SRVC Foundation, which believes in independence through empowerment will go a long way in opening our eyes to the abilities of such a group.

Where they can serve

The different kinds of jobs that the visually challenged but computer savvy will be adept at are desk jobs. But they can be experts at tea and wine tasting, fragrance assaying etc. in tandem with a larger group. As their sensory faculties are sharper than the rest due to acquired alertness their sense of taste and smell is better. Another Kerala-centric job which they can perform is related to tourism, where they can offer information to tourists in the language of their country. For this they just need to be taught different foreign languages and so information to a tourist can be just a phone call away. Answering calls in hotels for housekeeping, room service, kitchen etc can be job spheres that could open up for them.

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