Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination (ZHO) on Thursday signed an agreement with Microsoft to enhance its remote learning initiative and ensure continuity in education, the development of skills and social empowerment of people with disabilities.

The ZHO has adopted Microsoft Teams as its unified communications platform for teachers to communicate with students and engage them in various activities, including performing practical exercises, assistive reading and writing, as well as equipping them with interpersonal and self-reliance skills.

As per the deal, Microsoft and the ZHO will work together to provide better accessibility tools and features to educators and gauge the readiness of institutions for distance teaching, said Abdullah Al Humaidan, General-Secretary at ZHO, after signing the deal with Sayed Hashish, General Manager of Microsoft UAE.

The IT giant will also conduct a series of e-workshops for the ZHO teachers to better implement the process and empower students with technology solutions and ensure best practices, he stated.

Al Humaidan pointeed out that the MoU was aimed at empowering People of Determination across all aspects of lives including education, cultural and social, to build their capabilities so they can lead better lives by adapting to distance education to complete the curriculums electronically.

"Technology plays a profound role in this journey of migrating to remote learning and ZHO has been at the forefront of conducting educational, therapeutic and instructional-led classes with social skills across Abu Dhabi. Microsoft’s innovations combined with its accessibility and assistive learning tools are a clear demonstration of the company’s commitment to inclusiveness and equality," he added.

Hashish said the ZHO has put technology at the heart of its efforts to pursue aspirations for community and social development – and Microsoft is proud to support them.

Microsoft Teams acts as a virtual classroom that ensures better communication between teachers and students via video and audio options, enabling them to collaborate smoothly. Teams also includes accessibility features such as keyboard shortcuts, screen reader support and live captions for students to meet, chat and collaborate inclusively.

"We have an opportunity to empower a massive shift in creating more inclusive classrooms and workplaces to ensure education and employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Accessible technologies, enabled by AI will help people with disabilities unlock their full potential at school, work, and home," he added.-TradeArabia News Service