News and issues on the disabled 8 Nov 2024
Azmi Anuar
Contents
1. KJRH USA - Oklahoma School for the Blind holds unique competition
2. FOX31 USA - Blind adventurer to meet with current and former families of the Anchor Center for Blind Children
3. KYMA USA - Blind high school football player in California breaks barriers
4. Polk State College USA - Visually impaired student encourages Polk State peers to embrace opportunities
5. Yahoo News UK - Wiltshire Paralympic gold medallist inspiring young people to take up judo
6. North Tyneside Council UK - Social supermarket opens in Dudley thanks to community grant
7. Sixth Tone China - Comedian Shines Light on a Rare Disease
8. Mathrubhumi India - Inclusive sports takes spotlight in Kerala school meet, TVM clinches championship in category
9. Twice - Brava’s V3 Software Update Enhances Accessibility
10. Nile Post Uganda - Breaking Barriers: A Tale of Two Schools Empowering Learners with Disabilities to Conquer PLE
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1. KJRH USA - Oklahoma School for the Blind holds unique competition7 Nov 2024
MUSKOGEE, Okla. — Nearly 150,000 Oklahomans are dealing with a visual disability, but a group of students in Muskogee is showing there’s still plenty they can do.
2 News went to the Oklahoma School for the Blind to see how a unique competition is shining a spotlight on blind and visually impaired students.
Julie Cisneros has her game face on as she sees if weeks of practice will pay off.
“Even though I’ve been doing this for years, it’s always nerve-wracking to do it,” said Julia Cisneros.
She has her guide nearby and a volunteer grading her as well. It’s all a part of the 12th annual Oklahoma Region Cane Quest.
“I need to do this because it can help me so I don’t have to depend on my vision all the time if I’m going walking,” said Cisneros.
She has nystagmus which causes her eyes to sake at times like when she’s nervous or there’s loud noises like in traffic.
“The cane kind of helps me guide where I need to go,” said Cisneros.
She’s conquering the sidewalks of downtown Muskogee, as other younger students take on the stairs and the hallways.
By each of their sides you’ll see a guide. More than 80 people volunteered for this role including Natalie Armstrong.
Along with her guide duties, she made sure the students had a lot of great prizes to win.
“I thought kids they work really hard all year for this specific thing so I thought they deserve a lot of prizes and their pick of how many prizes they can get,” said Natalie Armstrong.
She got a $1,000 grant which helped her fill up the tables as students were awarded for acing these valuable skills.
“It’s an opportunity for our kids to demonstrate their skills of orientation and mobility,” said Faye Miller.
With more than eight million Americans dealing with a vision disability and nearly 150,000 Oklahomans with the same issue, Faye Miller says the competition helps students show their proficiency with the cane and also show the public what they can do.
“We also want them to see how many skills our students have and to raise their expectations of all individuals who have a visual impairment,” said Miller.
More than 40 students took part in the competition at the Oklahoma School for the Blind.
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2. FOX31 USA - Blind adventurer to meet with current and former families of the Anchor Center for Blind Children6 Nov 2024
DENVER (KDVR) — Current and former families of the Anchor Center for Blind Children who want to meet and hear from Erik Weihenmayer, who has spent many years exploring the world.
Weihenmayer has overcome many obstacles on his journey. One obstacle he has had to overcome that many explorers cannot say they have to deal with is the fact that he is blind.
If you asked him though, he would say being blind has only helped him overcome adversity and become stronger.
He credits his feats to what he calls the “No Barriers Life,” his philosophy for achieving results for personal challenges and overcoming adversity which has led to him redefining human limitations both mentally and physically.
“We are honored to host Erik and share his powerful message with our Anchor Center families and alumni,” said Savannah Wippel, Director of Development and Community Relations in a release announcing the event. “His life story exemplifies the strength of the human spirit, and we are excited to provide this unique opportunity for our community to be inspired by his achievements.”
Weihenmayer has been on countless adventures which include the accomplishments of kayaking the entire 277 miles of the Grand Canyon and performing the “Seven Summits,” a title earned by scaling the highest peak on each continent. During the Seven Summits, Weihenmayer created what may be his greatest claim to fame by becoming the first blind person to scale to the top of the world’s tallest peak, Mount Everest.
Unsurprisingly, his travels have led to quite a few crazy stories which opened up another avenue in his life as an author. Weihenmayer also used his stories and experiences to start the No Barriers organization which encourages people to recognize their potential and make contributions to the world and communities they live in.
He will be making an appearance and sharing his experience at the Anchor Center for Blind Children on Nov. 14 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
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3. KYMA USA - Blind high school football player in California breaks barriers5 Nov 2024
A California teen refuses to let his blindness keep him from playing the game he loves.
18-year-old Jasen Bracy is unstoppable on the field. From starting quarterback to nose guard, his game plan is always to defy the odds.
"No matter how many times I get knocked down to the ground, it's going...get back up and fight," Bracy declared.
Fighting is part of his DNA.
Bracy was diagnosed with retinal cancer when he was growing up.
"He had tumors in the retinas of both of his eyes," said Jasen Bracy Sr., Bracy's father.
By the time he was seven-years-old, Bracy was blind. Still, that didn't stop him from pursuing his dream to play football.
"He wanted to play. He was his own advocate. Once he became old enough and started calling around to some of the local youth teams, the Modesto Raiders was the only team that gave him an opportunity," Bracy Sr. spoke.
Doing what he loves takes practice on and off the field, Bracy memorizes every play and where the players are supposed to be.
"I can't see the players...I have a consistent amounts of reps and learn every time I take a rep to 'Hey okay, on this play, make sure you...do this more. On this play, you should do that more," Bracy explained.
From the sidelines, his father guides him through a hearing device in his helmet.
"Basically what I try to do is paint a mental picture for him of what everybody else is seeing out on the field," Bracy Sr. shared.
He's proven to be an outstanding player with his high school football team: The Enoch Eagles in Modesto.
"You can do whatever you put your mind to. And I mean that for a lot of things. And so basically, it's not over until you you say it's over," Bracy expressed.
As his time as an Enoch Eagle comes to an end this season, Bracy says his future in football is just beginning.
"You know, go to college...and take my skills to the next level. Improve and go to NFL from there," Bracy shared.
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4. Polk State College USA - Visually impaired student encourages Polk State peers to embrace opportunities6 Nov 2024
Andy Andrews says his proudest moment is returning to school at 52. He references lack of training and classes with peers half his age — common insecurities among older students — before sharing that his visual impairment is also an obstacle.
Andrews, a student in Polk State College’s Supply Chain Management Program, has retinitis pigmentosa, a rare genetic eye disease that causes vision loss over time. Diagnosed at 7 years old, he was told that he would be completely blind by 21.
“But I’m here now, still with some vision,” he exclaimed. “My advice to students is to take the training. I wish I would have embraced [education] when I had my vision. I knew I would go blind, but I kept pushing back. That was my pride.”
Andrews spoke to a room full of Polk State students, faculty, and staff during Disability Awareness Month. The Office of Disability and Counseling Services facilitates educational opportunities in which students are empowered to share their experiences and increase awareness about inclusivity across the College community.
“My advice to students is to take the training. I wish I would have embraced [education] when I had my vision. I knew I would go blind, but I kept pushing back. That was my pride.”
“Our office is dedicated to providing students with the support and resources they need to be successful,” Director of Disability and Counseling Services Kim Persall said. “Our events foster connections with and increased understanding about individuals who are living with disabilities.”
Andrews was born in Virginia and spent 30 years in California before moving to Florida in March. After a 25-year career working in a distribution warehouse, his diminishing eyesight became hazardous as forklifts began “sneaking up on me,” he explained.
Seeking new job opportunities, Andrews sought resources through the Florida Division of Blind Services, which connected him to Lighthouse for the Blind and Low Vision, and ultimately Polk State College.
“To this day, there’s not a lot of knowledge about my condition and there is no treatment,” Andrews explained. “I am fortunate because my condition was dormant for most of my life.”
He was able to drive until 2010. Now, he is getting used to a mobility cane, which is white with red markings to signal to others that he has low but somewhat useful vision.
Andrews shared with the audience some useful tips on how to interact with and assist visually impaired individuals.
“The biggest misconception is that we either want someone to let us figure [everything] out or we want someone to do [everything] for us,” he said. “In reality, we need something in the middle.
“The best thing to do is to simply ask if we need help,” he added. “Do not walk up and grab my shoulder, and immediately try to help. That is incredibly startling. The best thing to do is just ask.”
Pearsall and colleague Dionne Formey, Disability Services Coordinator, are no strangers to helping students with a variety of conditions and needs. More than 370 students have sought accommodations through their office for the Fall 2024 Semester.
Andrews, for example, benefits from JAWS software which assists students in reading web pages and online materials. It also assists Andrews with keyboard shortcuts and his ability to complete assignments.
“I learned JAWS just so that I could attend college,” he said. “Technology has allowed me to do what I have always wanted to do. I want to create code and now there is software that I can dictate [verbally] what I want it to do, and it will do it for me.”
His goal is to get back to work and serve as an inspiration for his two grandchildren.
“With my background in distribution, I am looking to work in supply chain and logistics, maybe in analysis or shipping operations,” he added. “Polk State’s program is exactly what I need, and the instructors have been accommodating as well.”
Andrew’s conversation for Disability Awareness Month ended with a Q&A session in which he insisted the audience could ask him anything — “I won’t be offended,” he shared.
Students and employees took the opportunity to connect with Andrews, inspired by both his story and openness about his experiences.
Pearsall pointed out that Andrews, despite his limited vision, still mows his own grass.
“Are there other things that you do that may surprise people?” she asked.
“Everything,” he exclaimed. “I do everything other people do, from cooking for myself to walking my dog, which is fun because he is not a seeing-eye dog and people freak out when he walks me right to the road.”
Andrews was also asked about increases in other senses since losing his vision.
“When you can’t see what a person looks like, you really sense their character,” he said. “It can be a difference in the tone of their voice. You really learn to listen to your gut.”
Lastly, he was questioned about his experience in his Polk State classes and with his professors.
“The professors are great at working with me to make sure I am successful,” Andrews said. “I encourage students to take advantage of the opportunities available here. Don’t procrastinate and don’t let anything stand in your way.”
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5. Yahoo News UK - Wiltshire Paralympic gold medallist inspiring young people to take up judo6 Nov 2024
A Paralympic judo gold medallist from Wiltshire is aiming to inspire young people to take up the sport.
Chris Hunt Skelley is part of a group of world-class judoka who have joined British Judo's Paris Roadshow, aiming to inspire grassroots clubs across the UK.
Following the Paris Paralympics in September, the roadshow will continue throughout the rest of 2024 and into 2025, allowing judo clubs nationwide to book visits from their Paralympic heroes.
Mr Hunt Skelley said: "I’m thrilled to be invited to be part of the Paris Roadshow, which is designed to inspire and empower young people - or anyone - who loves judo and wants to be part of this fantastic sport.
"Not everyone wants to be an elite athlete and that’s okay.
"Judo is far more than that - it teaches discipline, resilience, it builds confidence and it’s about team effort and personal achievement.
"All of these skills are valuable to achieving your dreams in life, whatever those dreams may be."
Registered visually impaired and living with a rare condition called ocular albinism, Mr Hunt Skelley won bronze in the +90kg class in Paris, following on from his gold medal in Tokyo.
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6. North Tyneside Council UK - Social supermarket opens in Dudley thanks to community grant6 Nov 2024
The village of Dudley in North Tyneside has a new social supermarket, thanks to a grant from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
Based inside the Out of Sight charity shop and community hub, it offers food and toiletries, including fresh, frozen and store cupboard groceries. £5 will buy enough to feed a family for three days.
It will be open every Saturday from 10am to 2pm and the offer is available to everyone, with no questions to answer and no means testing of any kind.
Out of Sight is a volunteer-led charity that provides events and holidays for visually impaired children and their families, carers and friends, and services for the wider community. It runs a well-stocked charity shop and community hub in Dudley which is open to all and offers support, regular activities, a warm space and somewhere to socialise. The charity received the Queen’s Award for volunteering services in 2019, equal to an MBE.
Out of Sight has received UKSPF funding for the social supermarket, community activities and to help grow the Weetslade Youth Group.
North Tyneside Council is partnering with North Tyneside VODA to deliver the UKSPF programme, which is funded by the UK Government with the North East Combined Authority as the lead authority. Through UKSPF, North Tyneside Council has invested over £1.2 million through a range of grants in the North West of the Borough.
It is part of the Council’s Ambition for the North West, creating attractive places to live, new opportunities for work and business, and inspiring spaces to play and visit.
Out of Sight chair Lisa Taylor said: “Some people in the village find it difficult to buy affordable fresh food because there are no supermarkets. For those who don’t drive it can be a real challenge.
“Online shopping is great for some people, but there is a minimum spend and not everyone has the technology skills to do an online food shop.
“We know that the demand for this will be high. The community hub and charity shop are already very popular. We are so grateful for the support we get from local people and our volunteers.
“We started doing Feeding Families food boxes during the pandemic and we still do 25 of those a month. The social supermarket will be available to everyone and we have some fantastic stock in, with lots of branded groceries, fruit and vegetables, frozen food and even some treats like boxes of chocolates.
“As well as offering affordable food, we are working on some recipe cards so that people can use what’s on offer to cook nutritious family meals.
“Fareshare are very kindly providing us with stock, we would love to hear from any supermarkets or other local food suppliers who can donate their surplus as well.”
Councillor Carl Johnson, Deputy Mayor for North Tyneside and cabinet member responsible for Regeneration, Culture and Economic Development said: “The Council is delighted to have secured £1.5 million of UKSPF funding, which is already funding 88 community projects in the North West of the Borough, through our partnership with North Tyneside VODA.
“These include youth and pensioners’ groups, conservation projects, football teams, a walking group, a community bus and many more.
“These projects are helping bring people together, take pride in where they live and support one another. The Out Of Sight social supermarket is giving people access to affordable fresh food at a time when many residents are struggling with the cost of living. The charity is offering support, activities and a friendly welcome to everyone in the community and we are very pleased to see this UKSPF funding being well spent.”
UKSPF was made available to any voluntary and community sector organisations that provide services in Camperdown, Weetslade and Longbenton, with five different types of grants: capital, large, medium, small and youth.
With a focus on creating a sense of renewed pride, identity and connectivity in local communities, UKSPF aims to increase life chances across the UK by investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.
The capital, large, medium and youth funds are now closed, and all money has been allocated, but funding is still available through the small grants scheme via North Tyneside VODA until 31 December 2024.
The Out of Sight social supermarket is open Saturdays 10am to 2pm at 23 Weetslade Rd, Dudley, NE23 7HT.
A full map of food support in North Tyneside is available here.
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7. Sixth Tone China - Comedian Shines Light on a Rare Disease6 Nov 2024
It’s just 24 hours before the final of the TV talent contest “The King of Stand-up Comedy,” and contestant Gao Xiang is about to hit several open mic nights to test his act in front of live audiences. Playing multiple shows on one night requires darting across Shanghai to make various time slots — a challenge for anyone, let alone someone who is legally blind.
Gao, who performs under the stage name Hei Deng, meaning “dark light,” was diagnosed at age 12 with Stargardt disease, a rare genetic eye condition. In less than a decade, his vision deteriorated from an acuity of 0.3, which is moderately visually impaired, to 0.02, classified as blindness. Yet, an illness that once brought him only darkness ultimately has thrust him into the spotlight as one of China’s rising standup comedians.
Wearing his trademark afro and sunglasses, and a condescending expression, Gao has gained national attention for not only his sharp, humorous routines but also speaking candidly on stage about the inner turmoil and sense of helplessness that comes from living with severely impaired vision, and demonstrating the hope that can emerge from suffering.
Opening up
In the summer before he started middle school in Wuxi, in the eastern Jiangsu province, Gao accompanied his cousin to get an eye examination with the intention of getting a pair of glasses for nearsightedness. Instead, he was diagnosed with Stargardt disease, the symptoms of which include blind spots, blurriness, poor depth perception, and difficulty adapting to dim light. The probability of someone having the condition ranges from one in 8,000 to one in 12,000.
Gao first noticed blurring in the center of his vision, and the problem gradually spread outward. Today, only his peripheral vision on each side is unaffected; everything else is clouded by innumerable jagged black and white spots, “like the static of an old television set,” he says. To see something or someone clearly, he needs to turn his head and look from an angle.
He describes the slow decline in his eyesight as feeling like “falling into an abyss.” When he graduated from university, Gao had 0.3 vision in his left eye and 0.03 in his right. By the age of 30, this had dropped to 0.05 and 0.02, respectively. That was the last time he had his eyesight tested. “It was already rock bottom,” he says. “Doing any more measurements would be meaningless.”
Although he’s known for some time he will eventually go blind, Gao says that he was unable to accept the reality for many years. He chose to pretend everything was OK, when in fact he was having to navigate potentially hazardous situations on almost a daily basis.
When entering a large shopping mall from the subway, for example, he finds it difficult to adjust from dim to bright lighting and often fails to see glass doors. To avoid this problem, Gao used to choose a random stranger to follow into the building, although on one occasion he still ended up hitting his head hard against a closed door. After this painful incident, whenever he approached a mall entrance, he would extend an arm to scan for incoming objects. As he felt it might look odd for a person to act this way, he would shout out “Hey!” when stretching out his arm to suggest he was practicing some form of martial arts.
Gao also struggled to find settled employment. In the 10 years after graduating from the Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Gao hopped from one job to another, working as a teacher at a training institution, in video game production, and in branding. He wasn’t picky; his only requirement was that he got paid. “While other people took gap years, I took gap jobs,” he jokes. For Gao, it was a cycle of collapse, resignation, repair, job search.
He would conceal his disability from his colleagues — not to keep his job but to avoid damaging his self-esteem. However, he came to realize that, once you tell one lie, it takes countless more to cover it up. When he was teaching early years education, he was unable to see the printed lesson plans clearly, so he took photos with his phone to enlarge them, and would spend the entire night trying to memorize them, resulting in him sometimes going off script in class. In another job, when he couldn’t see the spreadsheets on his computer, he simply made up an excuse and resigned. This behavior continued until 2013, when he discovered that magnification, color inversion, and screen-reading functions on his phone could help his work.
After this, Gao slowly started opening up about his impaired vision, and in 2019 he joined fellow patients in launching a social media account called the Stargardt Disease Youth Care and Support Center to promote awareness of the condition, share news on advances in treatment at home and abroad, and build a larger support network. The account has so far amassed nearly 4,000 followers.
At the age of 32, Gao was also beginning to rethink the meaning of existence. He pondered, “What do I want to do with the rest of my life?” To some extent, his condition helped him find his mission. He feels that the moment someone is diagnosed with a rare disease, they need to be “seen” — the more attention they receive, the greater their chance of receiving treatment. So, what better way of “being seen” and raising awareness of Stargardt disease than getting in front of large audiences?
Gao had long been a fan of standup comedy, and through listening to podcasts he learned that it was becoming increasingly popular in China. “I heard on one podcast, ‘Midnightalks,’ that Shi Jiefu (one of the early standup comedy pioneers in China) was hilarious at standup, so I wanted to see it live,” he recalls. At the time, he was working in central Beijing, and he began regularly visiting small bars and theaters that held open mic nights, which comedians traditionally use to practice and refine their material. He continued the habit when he moved to Shanghai for work in 2018.
In the summer of 2020, the standup scene in China exploded when a popular TV variety show promoted the idea that “everyone can do five minutes of comedy.” Gao, then unemployed, decided to give it a try and signed up to perform at an open mic night. His opening line — “I’m blind, can you tell?” — landed like a lead balloon. He followed it up by pulling his government-issued disability certificate from his pocket and deliberately holding it upside down, saying “Sorry about that” when he pretended to notice his mistake.
Strangely, he’s considered lucky among his fellow performers. Comedians often complain how difficult it is to keep generating fresh material, but Gao’s disability has the potential to provide endless streams of content. After four years in standup, Gao says he’s yet to experience a creative bottleneck. Guide dogs, tactile walking paths, subway announcements — with a wry smile and a microphone in hand, he presents the everyday grievances of visually impaired people. If something funny happens in the morning, he will write an outline in the afternoon and try it out on stage that night, preferring an improvised, conversational style over memorized scripts.
‘Fun and profitable’
The night before his appearance in the final of “The King of Stand-up Comedy,” Gao was racing through the streets of downtown Shanghai to perform at two different open mic spots, revising his material on the go. His fellow contestants were no doubt doing the exact same thing.
To perform multiple shows in one night requires precision timing, with sometimes less than 30 minutes to travel between venues. Gao — who attempts to play three shows a night, three times a week — needs to memorize the addresses of each bar and theater, and the quickest subway route.
Tonight, Gao’s first performance is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. He leaves home and swipes his card to enter his local subway station at 6:57 p.m. It’s still rush hour, and pedestrians are bustling around him. Often, Gao’s speed of movement and agility make it easy to forget that he’s almost blind. He walks faster than most, going up and down stairs without needing to hold the handrail, and he only slows down slightly when turning corners, placing one hand against the wall. “The subway transfer signs in Shanghai are large and clear with vibrant colors ... and the first and last steps of the staircases are marked with yellow labels,” he says.
At 7:15 p.m., Gao arrives at the first venue and waits. At 7:44 p.m., he takes the stage, and just 15 minutes later he’s heading back to the subway station to make his next performance. As night falls, he struggles to see the path ahead clearly with only natural light, so he pulls out a flashlight from his backpack. Before entering the station, he needs to turn off the flashlight and put on his sunglasses in order for his eyes to adjust to the strong indoor lighting. Repeated practice means that Gao can now perform this sequence of actions with incredible speed.
At 8:18 p.m., Gao walks into the second theater, steps onto the stage, and begins his routine. After about 40 minutes, he’s walking back to the subway station to return home. “I’ve not worked for many years. It’s hard to find a job better than standup — it’s both fun and profitable,” he says, laughing.
Facing up to difficulties
When he was just starting out at standup, Gao followed a typical path for newcomers by signing a contract with a comedy club, with the promise of lucrative showcase performances, known in the industry as “specials.” However, he says he parted ways with the club due to “ideological differences.” Breaking such contracts can incur a high penalty, which Gao says led to one friend giving up on a career in standup. However, Gao chose to fight the club in court, spending nearly 120,000 yuan ($16,845) on legal fees to break his contract, and even ended up receiving compensation.
Since then, he’s held off signing with another production company, preferring to be “his own man.” For a long time, he says, the comedy scene felt like a utopia — a gathering of idealists who oppose conventionality. Yet, he eventually realized that standup is also a business with its own systems, rules, and ladders for progression.
Gao feels that he has redefined his relationship with his illness, and he no longer cares what other people think. He’s done with pretending everything is normal. “Why pretend? Who are you? With over 24 million people in Shanghai, who has the time to look at you? You are just being self-important. There is no need to live your life for those meaningless things,” he tells himself. By directly confronting his suffering, he’s been able to carefully and creatively curate his real-life experiences into an act that brings joy to his audience.
Over the years, Gao has considered writing material that’s not centered on his vision, fearing audiences will tire of the subject, but for now he wants to continue confronting the disease head-on. In a podcast, fellow standup Wang Shiqi, who has an artificial heart, expressed similar concerns, as his sets often focus heavily on his medical history. However, to this, the more experienced comedian Liu Yang responded, “If I had that thing, I would write two specials right away.” It was a revelation to Gao. “Right, I have this illness, I should write about it,” he recalls thinking.
Gao’s punchlines mostly used to focus on other people. Although he wanted to write about his attempts at “pretending to be normal,” he was unsure audiences would feel comfortable laughing at these heavier experiences. “Previously, when audiences were reluctant to laugh, it was because they sensed that the person speaking had not moved on and was still experiencing the pain,” he says. “If they think that the issue no longer causes you harm, they will laugh.”
Eventually, Gao began writing material about trying to pretend, addressing his deep-rooted shame about his illness. In the opening round of “The King of Stand-up Comedy,” Gao performed a bit about lingering in an elevator, waiting for someone else to press the button to his floor so he didn’t need to expose himself as a visually impaired person. However, this ended up terrifying a lone woman who simply saw a man in sunglasses enter the elevator and stand motionless. He teased that he’d “rather be seen as a pervert than a blind man.” The routine propelled him into an extremely competitive final round, in which he finished in third place.
At the first open mic night in Shanghai, the compère takes to the stage. “Let’s welcome tonight’s performer, Hei Deng,” he says, as applause and cheers reverberate around the small theater. Gao feels his way out of the pitch-black backstage area and picks up the microphone. Once under the bright spotlight, everything is laid bare. “The most important thing for me is to keep performing, keep being on stage, and keep being seen,” he says.
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8. Mathrubhumi India - Inclusive sports takes spotlight in Kerala school meet, TVM clinches championship in category6 Nov 2024
Kochi: Inclusive sports took centre stage at the Kerala State School Sports Meet this year, with more than 1,600 athletes from 14 districts participating in the 'Inclusive Sports' category for students with special needs.
This category, created specifically for students with special needs, hosted various competitions, such as the 100-meter race for the visually impaired, a mixed 4x100-meter relay, standing broad jump, standing throw, handball, and mixed badminton.
The Inclusive Sports competitions concluded on Tuesday, with Thiruvananthapuram claiming the overall championship title. Palakkad won second place, and Kozhikode secured third place.
The Ernakulam District Collector NSK Umesh awarded the trophies to the winners, calling the accomplishments of these athletes an inspiration for everyone.
"The brilliant achievements of children with special needs are an inspiration to all," he said.
This year marks the first time that an inclusive category has been introduced in the Kerala State School Sports Meet. The competitions followed guidelines from the Inclusive Sports Manual. Before the event, children across the state also received district-level training to help prepare for the competitions.
Olympics-Inspired format
The sports meet, which officially began on November 4, follows an
Olympics-inspired format. Education Minister V Sivankutty inaugurated the
event, while former Indian hockey captain and Olympic medalist PR Sreejesh
joined as the brand ambassador. Actor Mammootty graced the opening ceremony as
the chief guest.
Events and special honours
Throughout the event, students are competing in athletics, inclusive athletics,
badminton, football, and throwball. Along with medals and certificates for the
victors, the district that accumulates the most points will receive the coveted
Ever Rolling Trophy named after the Chief Minister. In a nod to Olympic
traditions, winners will also be presented with olive leaf crowns, symbolising
their achievement and excellence.
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9. Twice - Brava’s V3 Software Update Enhances Accessibility6 Nov 2024
Brava has announced the launch of its V3 software, its first major technological update since its last combo builder software. The new software aims to deliver significant enhancements to accessibility, convenience and overall user experience. Crafted in response to feedback from Brava’s community of users, the V3 software update now supports full control of the Brava oven from a mobile phone, making the device more accessible and user-friendly.
“We’ve always believed that technology should enhance the cooking experience for everyone, and with this new V3 update, we’re taking accessibility to a whole new level,” said John Pleasants, President & Co-Founder of Brava. “By giving users full control from their mobile phones and improving the ease of use for individuals with physical limitations, we are making the joy of cooking more inclusive and empowering for people of all abilities.”
The new update introduces several key features, starting with full oven control from mobile devices. Previously, Brava users could search recipes via their phones, but crucial steps such as ingredient selection, doneness, and recipe instructions still required interaction with the oven’s touchscreen. With V3, all of these parameters can now be managed entirely through the Brava app, and the only action required on the oven itself is pressing the green button to start cooking.
In addition, the V3 update, which is compatible with all existing Bravas, enables full manual mode control from mobile devices, allowing users to manage modes like toast, sear, air fry, and slow cook. Creating custom cooks can now be easily programmed in the app, and the V3 software also offers increased transparency and customization for recipes. Users can now see the exact steps behind Brava’s chef-programmed recipes, including light intensities and durations.
In support of this new software launch, Brava is partnering with the Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired in San Francisco. This collaboration optimizes the Brava app for screen readers like Voiceover and Talkback, ensuring that blind and low-vision users can fully control their Brava ovens through their mobile devices.
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10. Nile Post Uganda - Breaking Barriers: A Tale of Two Schools Empowering Learners with Disabilities to Conquer PLE7 Nov 2024
Three pupils with visual impairments were among the 102 candidates sitting the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) at St Helens Primary School in Mbarara this year.
For these students, reaching this point has been marked by unique challenges that their peers may never face.
Macklean Ayebare, the headteacher of St Helens Primary School, highlighted the difficulties they encounter, noting, "We receive these children when they are already older. Parents struggle to find schools that can accommodate their needs, so some only start Primary One at age 12."
The delayed start and frequent class repetitions mean many of these learners complete Primary Seven certificate much later than the usual age bracket.
Despite these setbacks, Ms Ayebare commended the dedication of both the learners and their teachers.
"They have been prepared very well, and our teachers are trained to support them," she said.
"However, resources for these students are costly, especially Braille machines and paper."
Preparing visually-impaired students for exams is financially demanding.
Ms Ayebare explained, “A single Braille machine costs around Shs4 million, and Braille paper is also very expensive.”
Although St Helens is government-aided, the school struggles to cover these expenses, making it challenging to provide continuous support.
This has not stopped the school from prioritising inclusivity, but Ms Ayebare hopes for additional funding to create a conducive learning environment for all.
Here, visually-impaired candidates like 17-year-old Queen Elizabeth Atuhaire have found optimism despite the challenges.
"I’ve worked hard for this, and I’m feeling positive after my first Mathematics paper," Atuhaire told the Nile Post with a smile, proud to be writing the exams after years of preparation and dedicated support from her teachers.
Queen Salima Mirembe and Abel Atuzarirwe, also visually-impaired, shared the financial struggles associated with their learning materials.
“The machines were easy to use, but the materials are costly,” Abel remarked.
Over at Tukore Invalids Primary School, which serves learners with hearing impairments, autism, and dyslexia, 10 were among the 200 PLE candidates.
Teacher Bruno Mujurizi emphasized the efforts made to accommodate these students during exams.
"Our two hearing-impaired students, Daniel Togaya and Gloria Natukunda have sign language interpreters to help them understand the questions,” he said, explaining how these adjustments enable all students to sit their exams fairly.
For students with dyslexia, they are provided an additional 45 minutes to complete each exam.
Mr Mujurizi noted that while students with dyslexia are capable of writing independently, the extra time is crucial due to their slower reading and processing speeds.
“These accommodations allow them to feel more confident and capable," he said.
These students' journeys to reach the PLE underscore the strength of their determination, as well as the importance of continued support for inclusive education across Uganda.
The Uganda National Examinations Board has added PWDs aides the examinations across all levels of education to boost inclusion among candidates who need to be assisted.
After Mathematics and Social Science/Religious Education on Wednesday, candidates complete PLE tomorrow writing Integrated Science in the morning and English in the afternoon.
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This Google Group news service has been made possible by courtesy of the Society of the Blind in Malaysia