MIRM and Axiata Foundation empowers the visually impaired through
Digital Literacy Workshop

“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” – Helen Keller

MIRM'S VISION

It is the Make It Right Movement’s (MIRM) vision to transform lives and enrich communities, especially the marginalised, including the visually impaired.

In light of the rapid development and constant updates in technology, some individuals who are visually impaired are finding it difficult to keep up and navigate this fast-paced change. Some of them are still unable to fully utilise a smartphone or other electronic devices.

As such, MIRM sought to address this issue by conducting a Digital Literacy workshop for the visually impaired. Participants were taught how to navigate and use a smartphone by enabling the VoiceOver or VoiceControl function in the smartphone and were also taught how to install basic smartphone applications which are helpful in conducting day-to-day activities, including Grab, Foodpanda, Be My Eyes, Envision, Seeing AI, etc. MIRM conducted these workshops with a grant and assistance provided by Axiata Foundation.

WORKSHOP DETAILS

On 23 June 2024, MIRM hosted a Digital Literacy Workshop in the Society of the Blind Malaysia (SBM) Melaka for 12 participants, who were taught how to enable and navigate the VoiceOver function (for iOs) and Talkback function (for Android). They were also taught how to navigate Grab and Indrive in detail. Amanda Kong, Community Development Manager of MIRM and Lead Trainer of the workshop, said that it was fruitful and fulfilling to assist these individuals in learning how to navigate their smartphones but it was also surprising to see that some of the individuals did not even know how to switch on their smartphone in the first place.

The coordinator of the workshop, Yus, said that the workshop was beneficial to the participants and has also expressed various concerns generally faced by the visually impaired including the fact that certain apps are incompatible with the VoiceOver/TalkBack function thereby making it “tak user-friendly bagi golongan orang buta”.

FUTURE PLANS

As such, MIRM is seeking to write to the companies of these smartphone applications to address this issue and is also in the midst of conducting other similar workshops for other communities.