The Ministry of Telecommunications yesterday donated 59 tablet computers and several robotic kits, to persons living with disabilities in Guyana.
Minister Katherine Hughes, who handed over the gadgets, was ecstatic as she explained the importance of the initiative.
“Technology: again, here we’re talking about applications [apps] on phones and on tablets, allow persons with a disability, to travel [since these apps] offer voice-enabled directions; enables persons to choose colours, to send and receive emails, and to study online at any age, and any subject area,” she said.
She added that person with disabilities must have the same opportunities and the same tools for learning and personal growth as any other Guyanese citizen.
Just recently, notices were published in the print media regarding tax exemptions on select items – including smartphones and specially customised vehicles – to benefit persons living with disabilities. The minister said that her ministry, along with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the National Commission on Disability, is just about ready to implement these measures.
Programme Coordinator of the Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons With Disabilities (GCOPD), Ganesh Singh, spoke on how the initiative is beneficial to the disability community. He noted that the gadgets will help persons to advance their educational pursuits and with the establishment of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) clubs at four special-needs institutions: David Rose Special Needs School, Diamond Special Needs School; the Resource Unit for the Blind in Georgetown; and the St. Barnabas Special School.
“These are the things the disability community really wants to see; holistic changes, and not just token gestures that we’ve been accustomed to for a very long time,” Singh said.