In an effort to ensure that blind, visually-impaired and print disabled students have equal access to school texts and reading materials the National Library and Information System Authority (Nalis) presented nine schools with braille and large print school texts, and EVO e10 Daisy Digital devices.
The textbooks which were converted by Nalis’ staff, were presented to the School for the Blind, Arouca, Diego Martin Central Secondary, Princes Town West Secondary, Fyzabad Secondary, Rio Claro East Secondary, Coryal Secondary, Cunupia Secondary, Asja Boys College and St Augustine Girl’s High School, a media release said.
The presentation took place at the National Library where each school received two large print titles and one embossed braille book. Among the titles distributed were Anansi, Miguel Street, Starting Shakespeare, Sunsong1, The Sun’s Eye, The Wooing of Beppo Tate, Health and Family Life, Books One and Three, the release said.
Additionally, EVO e10 Digital devices were presented to students for the upload of school texts in digital formats. Nalis said it has converted 41 titles in literature, history, agricultural science, biology, science, drama and theatre arts, social science and primary level language and reading. The students, parents and teachers will undergo training from Nalis’ staff to ensure that they are able to upload the relevant textbook files, properly use, and care for their devices. The devices will be on loan to students under a long-term arrangement, the release said.
[caption id="attachment_1083653" align="alignnone" width="661"] Executive director of Nalis Paula Greene, right, presents converted textbooks and digital devices to Roma Maharaj, principal of the School for the Blind, Arouca. These books will give visually-impaired students equal access to textbooks. -[/caption]
The Evo E10 Daisy Digital Player and Recorder is an assistive technology device that is the size of a cell phone. The lightweight e-book reader device has tactile buttons in contrasting colours and is self-voicing which provide audio prompts. It has many features that make it easy to use for people with blindness, low vision and old age, helping them regain their active daily activities and life independence.
This distribution of accessible format materials is a stipulation by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) with respect to providing physical copies of accessible books to educational institutions, the release said.
At the presentation of texts, executive director of Nalis Paula Greene said it was extremely important to Nalis that students of differing abilities have equal access to texts and reading materials. She said that no child should be left behind.
Nalis’ director information networks division Helen Johnson said the conversion of texts is as a result of Government’s commitment to the Marrakesh Treaty to facilitate access to published works to people who are blind, visually impaired or otherwise print disabled.
She said in the release, “It was born out of a need to addre
