Technology Opens Up Opportunities for Visually Impaired Students
By David He
When Zaitoon Khan types a Word document or shops online at home, an electronic voice from her computer tells her what is on the screen because she cannot see it with her own eyes. Although Khan is visually impaired she can use computers much like anyone else due to the lessons she has learned from the Computer Center for Visually Impaired People (CCVIP).
The CCVIP, located on the sixth floor of Baruch College’s Newman Library, specializes in teaching visually impaired people use computers through assistive technology such as screen readers or screen magnifiers. The classes offered include introductory keyboard courses as well as more focused courses related to Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Gmail, and the Internet. For the students of the CCVIP, who range from high schoolers to jobseekers, the center is a place where they can learn important technological skills to achieve their goals.
“I realized there was no way to elevate myself socially and economically unless I developed some skill,” said Khan, who was born with congenital cataracts and later developed glaucoma. Although she has some vision, it is limited and she has difficulty distinguishing details and facial features.
Khan was born and raised in South America, and described her childhood as fairly normal though, as she put in her own words, “nobody really knew what to do with me.” In 1987 Khan came to the United States with her family and soon received services from Lighthouse International, an organization that provides treatment, training, and job placement for the visually impaired. Lighthouse later referred her to the CCVIP.
Khan has taken courses at the CCVIP for over two years and has learned how to use Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Office, email, and the Internet. Because of her low vision she uses screen reader software called JAWS at the center and home. The software reads whatever is selected on the screen in an electronic voice to enable navigation.
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“JAWS is not the best in the world but it’s damn good,” said Lynnette Tatum, senior instructor at the CCVIP.
Like her students, Tatum is visually impaired and also uses JAWS on the computer. This semester she taught a six-week advanced Word course to a class of four, including Khan. The class met twice a week, three hours each day.
Tatum has been teaching at the CCVIP for ten and a half years and stresses the importance of first mastering the keyboard. Visually impaired computer users learn to type on the keyboard through touch-typing, which involves developing muscle memory to know where and what each key is.
Once students become familiar with the keyboard they can not only type but also use keystrokes such as Alt-Tab to cycle through upper level windows or the toolbar in Word, and Alt-F4 to close windows.
While both Tatum and Khan have been using computers for many years, not every student who comes in has the same level of experience. In some cases students may have used computers previously but need to brush up on their skills. Such is the case with Eduardo Andres, who started at the CCVIP last year in November.
Andres had normal vision for most of his life until he was diagnosed in 1999 with retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic eye condition that is characterized by a loss of peripheral vision. Prior to this he had 20 years of experience working in mainframe operations for the New York branch of the Chicago Stock Exchange.
“You get frustrated all the time,” said Andres in a phone interview, describing his vision loss. “You hit the wall, you hit somebody else. You can’t even tie your shoes.”
Andres went regularly to organizations such as the Catholic Guild for the Blind and the Jewish Guild for the Blind for assistive services. He first heard about the CCVIP from the Catholic Guild and attended the Annual Conference on Employment and Visual Impairment held by the center. After learning about the opportunities the center offered, he decided to sign up for classes.
Events such as the Annual Conference are meant to raise awareness for visual impairment as well as demonstrate the newest technologies or resources that are available to the visually impaired.
“We’re trying to empower individuals who come and take these classes,” said Karen Gourgey, director of the CCVIP. “We’re trying to build awareness.”
The CCVIP was established in 1978 to help create more equal opportunities for visually impaired people through assistive technology. Depending on the student, the center uses screen readers such as JAWS, or screen magnifiers such as MAGic or ZoomText. Like the students that they serve, many of the staff at the center have visual impairments themselves. Gourgey, who has been the director since 1983, was born blind. She uses a guide dog to get around and a BrailleNote, a computer that has a Braille keyboard, speech function, and access to a variety of functions, for her work. William Reed, the assistant director, has macular degeneration in his right eye, a condition that results in vision loss in the center of the visual field.
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Both Khan and Andres hope that the skills that they have learned from the CCVIP will open the door to employment in administrative and office-related jobs. Like many other students, their classes at the CCVIP are sponsored by the New York State Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped. People who are considered legally blind or visually impaired can apply to the Commission, which then works with them individually to find suitable programs or services.
Andres considers himself to be very fortunate to have taken classes at the CCVIP, which allows him to learn new skills as well as practice and apply them.
“When I go to Lynnette [Tatum]’s class I feel so blessed I was there. I get to use my brain, my hands, and my ears,” he said.
“I like the teacher’s teaching style [at the CCVIP]. It’s a very good learning environment,” said Khan.
Despite not having complete vision, the students try to live as full a life as they can, both through their coursework and pastimes. Khan enjoys many outdoor activities and is an avid traveler, having been to Atlanta, Toledo, and Canada. She aspires to “see more of this country”. Andres walks with his wife around his neighborhood, going to bakeries and grocery stores.
For now, Andres wants a job where he can utilize his computer skills and find reward in his work much like everyone else.
“I don’t want a job I’m not happy doing. I want to be happy and contribute to the company. And at the end of the day I can say to myself job well done,” he said.