Rehabilitation for The Visually Impaired in Taiwan

The following is an e-postcard from Ana Calvo Langdon, a GlobalGiving Representative in Taiwan.

"Since I came to TDTB I’m not hidden anymore, my life has changed. Now I know there is a lot I can do for other people like me” stated Evelyn, one of the visually impaired members of staff in Taiwan Digital Talking Books Association (TDTB). Evelyn started out by attending computer classes at TDTB and a few months later, she joined the staff because she wanted to share her experience and help other visually impaired people.

TDTB is an organization dedicated to the development and the adoption of technology in the production of digital talking books for people with disabilities. On August 6^th, Sandra and I met with the very dedicated staff of TDTB: including the chairman, secretary general, and the Project Leader. All of them were so welcoming. After learning about the organization, they gave us a tour of the office - the computer room where a group lesson was taking place, the room where the staff work (out of the 18 people in staff, 11 are visually impaired), a room where the books are recorded and the “counseling room”. They showed us how to record a book and how a NVDA reader works. We even recorded a little message for them with Evelyn’s help - next time we will try it in mandarin!

Apart from the teaching courses on how to use a NVDA screen reader (an awesome pocket-size tool for the visually impaired), how to browse a web page and communicate with friends online, TDTB produces books and translate magazines into an electronic format. They proudly showed us some of the books they published as well as the different apps on the iPhone for the visually impaired. They are at the forefront at technology!

TDTB is committed in giving visually impaired people equal opportunities, empowering them, and preparing them to fully participate in society.