Computers for the blind planned
JAKARTA (JP): The government, to prove its commitment to providing a good education for the handicapped, plans to translate college admission tests into Braille for the blind.
Yesterday, Minister for Education and Culture Wardiman Djononegoro announced that the plan will start in June, when universities open admission for the handicapped students.
"The blind have the same right to a good education as any other citizen," Wardiman said, at a demonstration of a Braille printer and computer software by a Norwegian company.
The company was trying to impress the minister with the computers' ability to translate questions of last year's college admission tests.
Last year, 13 blind students participated in state college admission tests. They were helped by special teachers who read them the questions. This year, there will be 22.
The ministry has considered getting foreign assistance to finance more Braille computers. These computers would be used to translate not only exam questions, but also books for the blind. The equipment will also be provided to schools for the handicapped across the country.
The Director of primary education, Djauzak Achmad, said special schools for the handicapped had existed long before the nation declared its independence in 1945. However, he acknowledged the government has not provided them adequate equipment.
Statistics at the ministry shows there are about 1 million blind people in Indonesia and another 10 million with serious vision problems. Of the group who are legally blind, only 3,000 or so attend school.
"Schools for handicapped are very expensive. The existing 209 schools are not enough to accommodate all the handicapped," Djauzak said.
He added that the government wanted to build more schools that accommodate both the handicapped and those without disabilities, because mixed schools are cheaper to manage.
"There will be time when all the handicapped will go to ordinary schools," Djauzak said.
He called on the public not to be ashamed of having handicapped children.(01)