Rehabilitation for The Visually Impaired in Taiwan

In the hot summer, with the gradual relief of the epidemic, various activities have gradually changed from online to physical. TDTB with your support continues to contribute to the visually impaired services. The following are the results of our third season.

1. Accessible Internet Promotion

The concept of accessibility is that everyone has the same right to use regardless of the type of obstacle. TDTB has been conducting propaganda activities for 11 years, with visually impaired computer teachers and colleagues going to universities and NPOs to promote lectures. Although affected by the epidemic, registration is still very active. Many schools hope that through such activities,  teachers and students can learn more about internet accessibility.

2. Corporate Volunteer Cooperation

The feedback of companies to society can be through the participation of volunteers. This season, many companies have contacted TDTB  hoping to have the opportunity to conduct volunteer training and implementation through the online model. TDTB has been producing audiobooks and e-books to provide visually impaired people with more information. This kind of service fits the needs of corporate volunteers who cannot physically participate in the epidemic. In every online learning activity, I can feel the warmth of society through those serious faces.

3. Visually impaired entity + online art experience

The Taipei International Art Village and the Taiwan Art Space Alliance (TASA) jointly organized a special art feast, inviting the visually impaired to participate in artistic creation, and organizing a physical and online visually impaired guided tour. Art creators act as guides, and through interaction, the visually impaired can also participate in this kind of artistic experience. Especially online guided activities are a big challenge for guides. Through the communication and discussion before the exhibition, TDTB and Taipei International Art Village launched experimental art activities. The visually impaired friends interacted and enthusiastically opened up a different direction for TDTB's services.

4. Life Rehabilitation Sharing Session

For the visually impaired, reconstruction requires not only adjustment and learning, but also the support and guidance of peers, so that they will not be alone. TDTB organizes a life reconstruction sharing session every two months, inviting successful models in various fields, using physical and online methods, to share their successful experiences. This season TDTB has handled two games, especially inviting visually impaired friends to interact in two ways, on-site and online. During the period, everyone asked many questions. The visually impaired teacher who served as the lecturer also encouraged these visually impaired in a humorous way. Barrier friends, come out bravely.

5. NVDA teacher training

The free screen enrollment software NVDA, designed by two computer engineers in Australia, is currently the most widely used enrollment software for visually impaired people in the world. TDTB has not only devoted itself to the work of NVDA Chinese culture for many years but also provided an easy-to-use application software for the visually impaired in Taiwan. We are more committed to promoting NVDA, hoping that the visually impaired and their companions can use it smoothly. This season, TDTB has specially handled two online NVDA teacher training. Special education teachers from all over the country signed up actively and exchanged their learning experiences.

6. Vocational training for the disabled

Vocational training for the physically and mentally disabled is an important policy for the government to encourage the disabled to transform from receiving services to contributing to society. Just as the training is about to begin, Taiwan’s COVID-19 epidemic is severe. To ensure the safety of teachers and students, TDTB is awarded The Taipei City Government agreed to adjust the entire training to online teaching. At the same time, to avoid the anxiety of the teachers and students, the instructions and training of the online platform and related homework were handled before the start of the training. After passing the initial maladjustment, the current 13 students are learning very smoothly.

Links:

• http://tdtb.org

Taiwan has experienced the crisis of water shortage and the outbreak of the epidemic this season, and all the activities were suspended because of the rising epidemic. However, TDTB upholds the spirit of adapting to changes, looking for various methods to ensure uninterrupted services. In addition, through different modes of interaction, keep the connection with corporate volunteers. The following is the achievement of our second season.

1.Computer assistive devices teaching and psychological counseling service adjustment

In response to the escalation of the COVID-19 in Taiwan, the government has suspended the implementation of physical services to avoid crowds infection. However, the needs of the visually impaired will not disappear due to the COVID-19. Therefore, TDTB specially invites visually impaired computer teachers and psychological counselors to discuss how to solve the technical problems of the online service for the visually impaired so that our service will not be interrupted.

2.Record digital talking books for the visually impaired

Reading is the right for everyone, and the visually impaired is no exception. One of the core services of TDTB is the production of digital talking books for the visually impaired, which provides a more diversified information source for the visually impaired. This season, TDTB was commissioned by the National Taiwan Library to produce 40 digital talking books for the visually impaired. Through this project, TDTB also invites visually impaired for post-production and create more job opportunity.

3.Volunteer training

TDTB had already organized a volunteer training session to let them learn about how to guide the visually impaired and dictating video-related information before the epidemic becomes serious in Taiwan. After the epidemic heats up, TDTB has not interrupted the interaction with volunteer friends, and specially organized two activities, like used Google Meet to introduce the production methods of digital talking books and e-books then provided volunteers with the opportunity to make actual productions.

4.Provide digital talking books to rural schools

TDTB accompanied the visually impaired computer teacher went to Huayuan() Elementary School in Hsinchu(), to conduct life education for the visually impaired and digital talking books gifting activities under the sponsorship of a caring group. Allow students in the rural area to understand the visually impaired, and to expand their vision through digital talking books. Under our actives the teachers and students of the school understood the appearance of the visually impaired step by step, let the children understand the diversity of the world, and cultivate their broader minds.

5.Promotion of accessible websites

TDTB has handled 11 sessions with the promotion of accessible websites. This year, school and government units have been particularly active in applications. Before the epidemic heats up this season, we went to Hsinchu() and Miaoli() for two physical activities. After the epidemic heats up, we also conducted two online seminars. The participants include students and teachers so that more people can understand the visually impaired and accessible websites environment.

6.Transform a new interactive learning platform

Computer ability is now the key for visually impaired students to keep up with distance teaching under the influence of COVID-19 because schools began to switch to online teaching methods. To increase the ability and interest of visually impaired students in using a computer, TDTB sought the support of enterprises to add an interactive area to the original VIP digital learning platform. This season, we invited a software company to discuss the most interactive way to meet the needs of visually impaired students. Let’s look forward to the results of the next season.