In days past, a computer geek was imagined to wear thick glasses and carry a pocket protector. In the near future, we may be seeing more of them wear dark sunglasses and carry a white cane. Does it so
December 15, 2005 (Press Release) --
An unsighted person is not unfamiliar to the average passer-by, on a typical day, in a typical US city. Once, a street corner may have been home to the sightless, and charity their only support. Today, there is no question that a blind man or woman is fully capable of leading an active and successful lifestyle in America.
From inventions and works of art, to civil services and administration; many cornerstones of our society have been contributed by unsighted individuals, or persons of "limited" capacity. Why then, would it be so hard to believe that there are equally successful computer programmers, or other technical professionals?
Perhaps it is because of stereotype. Both a typical computer "nerd" and a casual Internet surfer can be found clicking their mouse at a screen filled with images and text. Almost nowhere in television or media do you ever find text being read aloud by a piece of hardware called a "screen reader," nor do you frequently notice Braille-marked keyboards being used or sold in a mainstream context. Yet, an increasing number of blind, or visually impaired, adults and adolescents are discovering their talents, and furthering their technical prowess.
In fact, it is becoming easier to find educational services that offer, and even excel in teaching those who are blind, or otherwise impaired. One such establishment is Rent-a-Tutor.com, who has recently enrolled over 150 students in its German program, during summer of 2005.
They are expanding their program to reach English-speakers, and are searching specifically for blind and visually impaired beta-testers to help improve their facilitation of special needs. Courses which normally range in price from $50-80 are offered free to selected participants.
Course graduates can choose to be fluent in the PHP scripting language basics, as well as PHP coupled with MySQL. The courses are offered to both sighted and unsighted individuals. The coursework can be completed directly through the user’s Internet browser, so no extra software needs to be downloaded. Taking the course will be as easy as surfing the web is now.
With this kind of opportunity, how long will it be before blind-written content on the web is as common as the Braille on your local walk-up ATM?
From inventions and works of art, to civil services and administration; many cornerstones of our society have been contributed by unsighted individuals, or persons of "limited" capacity. Why then, would it be so hard to believe that there are equally successful computer programmers, or other technical professionals?
Perhaps it is because of stereotype. Both a typical computer "nerd" and a casual Internet surfer can be found clicking their mouse at a screen filled with images and text. Almost nowhere in television or media do you ever find text being read aloud by a piece of hardware called a "screen reader," nor do you frequently notice Braille-marked keyboards being used or sold in a mainstream context. Yet, an increasing number of blind, or visually impaired, adults and adolescents are discovering their talents, and furthering their technical prowess.
In fact, it is becoming easier to find educational services that offer, and even excel in teaching those who are blind, or otherwise impaired. One such establishment is Rent-a-Tutor.com, who has recently enrolled over 150 students in its German program, during summer of 2005.
They are expanding their program to reach English-speakers, and are searching specifically for blind and visually impaired beta-testers to help improve their facilitation of special needs. Courses which normally range in price from $50-80 are offered free to selected participants.
Course graduates can choose to be fluent in the PHP scripting language basics, as well as PHP coupled with MySQL. The courses are offered to both sighted and unsighted individuals. The coursework can be completed directly through the user’s Internet browser, so no extra software needs to be downloaded. Taking the course will be as easy as surfing the web is now.
With this kind of opportunity, how long will it be before blind-written content on the web is as common as the Braille on your local walk-up ATM?
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