Workshop for teachers in 30 Odisha districts from 45 schools for visually impaired

Bhubaneswar(27/09/2024): A two-day workshop was organized by the VIEWS organization for teachers in 30 districts from 45 schools for the visually impaired.

The workshop aimed to support visually impaired students in embracing digital systems, empowering them to move forward and achieve greater independence. On the first day of the program, Bheema Rao outlined the objectives.

He emphasized that VIEWS has been running this program for the past three years and highlighted its positive impact on children, focusing on how it prepares them for advancement in the digital field. Sonalika Suman, the Assistant Director of the Training Institute, was the chief guest.

She spoke about the employment opportunities available for visually impaired students and how they can be empowered through proper education and skills. Sannyas Behera, Deputy Secretary of the SSEPD department, also attended and engaged in the session by sharing his personal experiences.

He recounted the challenges he faced due to the lack of digital resources in his time, but despite those obstacles, he achieved success and became an OAS officer.

He encouraged the teachers to ensure that visually impaired children do not face similar hardships in the future, motivating the audience to persevere and support their progress.

In this workshop, VIEWS committed to providing life skills training for teachers to better assist visually impaired students.

Pragnya Behera, a life skills trainer from Pingalakhi Special Diploma College, facilitated this training, emphasizing the vital role that life skills play in shaping the lives of visually impaired students.

She explained how mastering these skills can profoundly change a child's life. Alongside her, VIEWS team member Bidyadhara guided the teachers on using DAISY Books and the Sugamya Pustakalaya platform.

The goal was to equip children with the ability to easily access and read any book by registering with Sugamya Pustakalaya.

This successful first-day session laid the foundation for further empowerment and progress for visually impaired students. On the second day, the session began with beautiful hymns, setting a serene tone for the day.

The VIEWS team then provided training to the teachers on using the speakers effectively to ensure that students could hear the audio more clearly. Later, Pramod Kumar Mallik, a Disability Expert from UNFPA, delivered a concise overview of the ten key points of life skills.

This was followed by an interactive question-and-answer session, allowing the teachers to gain deeper insights into life skills education. Prachurya Pradhan, the Under Secretary of Finance of the Government of Odisha, provided an insightful demonstration to teachers, showcasing new technology designed for visually impaired children.

This demo introduced the educators to the latest advancements in artificial intelligence, equipping them with valuable knowledge to enhance their teaching methods and better support the learning needs of visually impaired students. Prasant Verma from the Daisy Forum of India conducted an insightful online session, introducing DAISY tools and techniques.

He shared valuable ideas on how to enhance the reading experience using DAISY, helping participants better access and read books in a more efficient and accessible manner. After that, Rajib Kumar Raul from the Azim Premji Foundation shared some insights about the remarkable work being done by the foundation.

He motivated the teachers attending the training by emphasizing the importance of collaboration, saying, "To achieve meaningful work, you must have a strong and dedicated partner." It was an inspiring quote that resonated with everyone present. Afterward, the teachers from the VIEWS organization were awarded certificates and speakers, in recognition of their contributions to the children's education.

By integrating these audio tools into their teaching methods, the students received valuable support through the use of audiobooks, helping them to progress further in their learning journey.

This initiative fulfilled the students' aspirations to continue advancing in their education. At the conclusion of the program, Sannyas Behera addressed the teachers, summarizing the key lessons from the two-day session and offering guidance on how to effectively implement them.

He emphasized the importance of empowering visually impaired students to advance in the digital field, highlighting how many students have significantly improved their lives through such initiatives.

Mr.

Sanyasi Behera also acknowledged the positive impact of the program, with participating teachers expressing their gratitude and appreciation to VIEWS for providing this valuable training.

They conveyed their happiness and enthusiasm for the opportunity to be part of such a transformative experience .