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Seminar in progress.

Oman’s PEIE highlights technologies for handicapped

MUSCAT, May 14, 2015

Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM), the technical arm of Oman’s Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE), highlighted the significance of technologies for the physically challenged at a seminar yesterday (May 13).

"These technologies have a great impact on the performance and productivity of this segment of the society, and thus advance their skills and capabilities," said Basim bin Ali Al Nassri, Director General of Marketing and Media at PEIE, speaking at the seminar held at Crowne Plaza Hotel in Muscat, Oman.

He added that the seminar comes as part of Digital Nation series of seminars, which aim at providing an ultimate platform for creative professionals, business leaders, techies and students to discuss the emergence, challenges, opportunities and implications of the digital lifestyle.

Awareness on assistive technology

Panteleimon Makris, assistive technology consultant at the White Hands Centre for Assistive Technology and Rehabilitation, UNDP technology expert, and EU Technology Projects’ evaluator, said: "As a person from outside, coming from a European country, I see that there is limited awareness on Assistive Technology (AT) in Oman, a big lag of AT and other special professionals (if there are any) and in many cases technology use and inclusion procedures are interpreted in the wrong way.”

“Inclusion in reality is not practised and is not a focus in the provided services.  In addition, there is a legal gap and probably procedure delays for the introduction of new ideas like the adoption of technological solutions.

"I can realise the huge needs as I experience everyday so many cases where I know that technology can support successfully. In the meantime, I also realise that there is genuine interest, eagerness and readiness for a lot of people, policy makers, university researchers, professionals, parents, special needs people themselves to proceed with new supporting technological solutions.

“It is probably the right time for the country to study and implement AT as a service in parallel to inclusion. Been in the country for the last three years I am sharing a vision with my collaborators, the White Hands Center for Assistive Technology and Rehabilitation, the parents and the people with special needs themselves to empower the disabled to maximize their participation in the so called ‘normal’ society, by providing more opportunities to them with or without AT solutions and to contribute to their effort to reach to their full potentials,” he added.

Sharing her experience, Shaikha Al Jassasi, Web content specialist at IT Authority, said: "As a visually impaired employee, I faced some challenges at work place like the building is not accessible to me. I could not go and attend meetings or events independently. The emails I received sometimes were not accessible, because they were not texts but sent as images for example.”

“Moreover, transportation is a major issue for us as well. Another general issue facing persons with disabilities at work is the lack of training centres in Oman. Besides, the assistive technologies are costly and sometimes it is difficult for organisations to buy such products. It is also difficult to find technical support for the assistive technologies here in Oman. Additionally, in the past, persons with visual impairment were not allowed to embark some of the available jobs; they were only either teachers or call center operators."

"We are now able to read emails, use the Internet, write different types of file formats, use social media channels  and can give presentations with different means. With assistive technologies, we are fully integrated at workplace as any other employee,” she added.

Lack of awareness

Najah Al Abdulsalam, speech-language pathologist, owner of iCommunicate, mentioned that there is currently a lack of awareness on technologies used not only for differently abled citizens but also for the older people who suffer from strokes and accidents victims as well.

"Events like this raise awareness needed for the public and for professionals if executed and goal oriented. I would expect to see collaborations from different entities in the country to come together and work on how to make these technologies available to those who need it. The seminar also underlines how people who are differently abled can be enabled to voice their needs using social media and other form of media,” she added.

Technology for children with disability

Sabah Al Bahlani, CEO of the Association of Early Intervention for Children with Disability: "We are working with small children from birth to age nine years. We are using a variety of technology tools when working with our children. We use iPads, communication board, visual schedules, voice recorders, electronic alphabets, numeric books, computers, visi-pitch, cochlear implant, and hearing aid,” she said. – TradeArabia News Service




Tags: PEIE |

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