Getting blind and partially sighted people online

People Image of laptop
ViewsSeptember 29th, 2014

We are often asked “What does digital inclusion mean?” So much of our everyday life is now conducted online: shopping, connecting with friends and family through social media such as Facebook or Twitter, searching and applying for jobs online, or just basic entertainment; catching up on TV programmes on BBC’s iPlayer or Channel 4’s 4OD service.

Imagine if none of that was available to you…

Many of us take this all for granted, but it can be much more difficult for blind and partially sighted people, so many websites and online services are just not designed with people with sight loss in mind – and that’s the crux of what digital inclusion means – being included in the digital world.

RNIB has been awarded £5.8million from the Big Lottery Fund to deliver the Online Today project across the UK. In Wales, RNIB Cymru will work with partner organisations including Wales Council for the Blind, North Wales Society for the Blind, Vision Support, Cardiff Institute for the Blind and Action on Hearing Loss. The project will support around 2,000 people a year through one-to-one sessions, group sessions, surgeries and drop-in days. Deaf and hard of hearing people face similar challenges, which is why Action on Hearing Loss will be a key partner in his project.

Online Today is based on RNIB Cymru’s Get Connected project which was funded by Communities 2.0. The Get Connected team visited venues across the South Wales valleys to discover what access technology was available in community venues. It then established weekly classes in Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr Tydfil to support blind and partially sighted people to improve their existing ICT skills, and encourage new learners to take their first steps online. The project increased its public engagement in the South Wales valleys by running drop-in sessions in local supermarkets demonstrating the latest technology and there is still a high demand for its home visiting services across Wales. Digital Inclusion Officer Hannah Rowlatt won the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) “Tutoring in a Digital World” award, and became one of the first Dolphin Accessibility Software accredited trainers in Wales!

82 per cent of blind and partially sighted people say that their sight loss is the reason they are not online.

We can now shop, search for jobs, chat, watch television, and even sit exams online, but so much of that is more difficult for people with sight loss. Accessibility is a major barrier, but with modern screen readers and magnification software, many sites can be navigated with ease. Community venues such as libraries that offer free internet access, often do not have staff with the knowledge or experience to provide teaching support to people with sight loss; and often these venues do not have the correct access technology that is vital to blind and partially sighted people getting online.

Nearly 50 per cent of blind and partially sighted people feel cut off from the people and things around them.

Being included in the digital world helps to alleviate that isolation, whether by something simple as having a Facebook page to stay in touch with friends, or being able to search for better energy deals online. This last point is an important one for people with sensory loss, not being online should never be a barrier to saving money.

Read more about the project here:  http://bit.ly/1xp7rmB

Andy Williams works for RNIB Cymru

Tagged with: Disabled People

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