1. VI Persons and Electronic Devices in Kenya: RESEARCH PERSPECTIVE BY Martin Gitonga Wegoki, Prof. Paul Kamau Mbugua and Beth Wanjiku Kenyatta University Library and KUDSO Office

2. What is communication? Communication IS the exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, through speech, signals, writing, or behavior. Persons with visual impairment are not at par with technological innovations because they are still dependent on other people to get communication but can do it on their own if these communication devices are compatible to them. Physically challenged, celebral pulsy and other disabilities

3. KEY EXAMPLES OF RESEARCH AREAS Television: Remote control- The keys should be brailed; ensured that the writing of numbers is visible enough to the partially blind persons; the remote should be effective enough to verbalized whenever it is given a command there is a sound to help one know what he or she has done. This can help them search different channels on the TV without the help of anyone. The keys on the TV should also be brailed for access by blind persons. The TV Presenters-”For more information you can call the number on your screen” Let there be a way of verbalizing everything that is being viewed on the screen.

4. KEY EXAMPLES OF RESEARCH AREAS CONT. Radio; VI persons listen to the radio more than even the TV since it is audio The keys on the remote should be well separated and clearly labeled for both totally and partially blind. There should be an audio sound to help make sure that the totally blind person knows what command he or she is giving to the radio. Keys on the radio itself should be brailed. It is clear that when you turn on the radio it will show that its ON by showing a signal in a certain colour and to the blind person this does not help them at all since they will not be able to see the signal hence there should be start up tone to tell the blind people that the radio is now ready to be operated. Operational manuals be provided in Braille, large print and in audio forms e g in CDs. This will help one know how to operate and maintain the radio well.

5. KEY EXAMPLES OF RESEARCH AREAS CONT. News Papers; VI read some information e g in the newspapers which at all times is presented in hard copies. Where presented electronically then one has to subscribe at a fee to get the whole newspaper. For instance in institutions where there are newspapers provided freely blind person may not get this information since they may lack someone to read for them. This where CCK can help the VI through liaising with media industry to have a mechanism where this information is provided in full electronically or even in soft copies e g CDs at the same price as the hard copies or even cheaper. The partially blind sometimes try to read the hard copies but they strain due to the font size used but this can be improved through increasing the font size.

6. KEY EXAMPLES OF RESEARCH ITEMS CONT. Mobile phones: The quickest and cheapest means of transmitting information. However VI are facing numerous challenges which include: Scratch cards; The pin numbers on the cards should be written in such a way that the partially blind can be able to read clearly e g use of white background and black characters can be easily visible by partially blind persons. This will ensure privacy to the reader since he or she might be cheated by the one helping to enter the digits.

7. KEY EXAMPLES OF RESEARCH ITEMS CONT. Phone key pads: Keys should be well separated from each other to cater for all people. At the same time these keys should be put in such a way that they are protruding outwards so that they can be separated easily and that one can be able to move the fingers well from one key to another. Speech programs: Programs are only compatible to certain phones which are also expensive to obtain. CCK should ensure that all phones be compatible to this software so that the VI may be able to install them in any phone one has bought. There should be a regulation on the pricing of this software to affordable levels for the majority.

8. KEY EXAMPLES OF RESEARCH ITEMS CONT. Watches: Talking watches have been of great help to VI Braille watches are very expensive to acquire hence making most of the blind persons to lack such an essential device. CCK may ensure Braille watches are affordable through liaising with the price control institutions such as KEBS.

9. KEY EXAMPLES OF RESEARCH FACILITIES CONT. Banks: Currently VI can only access banking services through help from other people. ATM keys should also be brailed in conjunction with speech The writings on the machine should have good contrast/ Access on wheel chair for PC Within the banking hall, paper work would be easier if the font on the papers is increased so that partially blind persons can read and write with little difficulty.

10. KEY EXAMPLES OF RESEARCH FACILITIES CONT. Supermarkets: The price tags should have larger numbers Barcode machines which have been verbalized to be used by the blind persons. Lets there be a speech program in the payment machines instead of a VI having to ask the cashier, “How much am I supposed to pay?”

11. KEY EXAMPLES OF RESEARCH FACILITIES CONT. Streets: St reet names should be in large letters and placed on appropriate positions for easy visibility Traffic lights for pedestrians and the vehicles should have a speaker which mentions the colour signals and their meanings.

12. KEY EXAMPLES OF RESEARCH FACILITIES CONT. Hospitals: Drugs issued to the patients should have instructions written in large fonts for ease of reading low vision people. Proper lablelling of all ROOMS for PC

13. KEY EXAMPLES OF RESEARCH EQUIPMENT CONT. Computers: All public places computers should be installed with speech programs. This is because VI should have easy access to public information and services like everyone else. This has been extensively covered, but can we discuss it further?

14. CONCLUSION Initiatives should be made towards coming up with appliances that are less complex and cheaper: THE ESSENCE OF RESEARCH THANKS SO MUCH FOR LISTENING