HISTORY was created yesterday when one physically impaired and nine visually impaired students of the Guyana Society for the Blind sat Human and Social Biology at the CSEC examinations as the first of five subjects they are registered to write.

Their participation facilitated by a voice-aided computer software, the ten students: Rosemarie Ramitt, Leroy Phillip, Odessa Blair, Diane Singh, Anthony Robinson, Douglas Tika, Roy Stewart, Muesa Haynes, Vishaul

Mohabir; and Laurel Lewis, who is physically impaired, wrote the exams at the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) building in Thomas Lands, Georgetown.

Education Minister Priya Manickchand described the event as one that went through a procedure of good planning. She expressed how inspiring this event has been to her, stating that it was a remarkable feeling to know that, despite their respective disabilities, the students opted to pursue their education, and not limit themselves.

She admonished the students not to be fearful, and stressed that their persistence to throw off limitations and achieve equality was admirable and very commendable.

Manickchand also expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) team, which was the driving force of the initiative and which paved a way for all this to be possible through comprehensive planning by Coordinator of the programme, Ganesh Singh.

She indicated that such a programme — which is historical, since no country in the Caribbean has ever had so many disabled students writing the exam electronically — is a manifestation of the Government’s commitment to provide better education to Guyanese.

Training was provided to the students who sat the examination by OLPF staff members, who also rendered assistance in maintaining the laptops.
Coordinator of the project and member of the Guyana Society for the Blind, Ganesh Singh, who has been instrumental in setting up the programme, explained that teachers were provided for the students for an eighteen-month training by the Ministry of Education.

The students, ninety percent of whom are blind or visually impaired, sat the exam independently, since they were trained to accurately use the keyboard. The examination was designed in such a way that a softcopy would be downloaded onto their laptops and the voice automated software would read the examination paper to them. The exam personnel would then print the answer sheets and they would be presented to the CXC Exams Division.
Project Manager of the OLPF project, Margo Boyce, was delighted to know that the initiative, launched a few years ago by the Government of Guyana, is having such a tremendous impact on the society. She noted that “it is equally important that we remember those who are disabled or impaired, and render assistance so that as much potential can be tapped into.”

(By Ravin Singh)