Assistive Technology AdvocacyAssistive Technology Advocacy (ATA) day was organized by two families interested in the welfare of the children with disabilities. The day was organized by Mr. and Mrs. Patrice and Scholactica Miselo and Mr. Protasio and Mrs. Happy Chipulu. The Assistive Technology advocacy day was held at Mtendere Catholic Parish in Mtendere compound a sprawling self helped compound with a dense population. The advocacy was held on Saturday 6th April 2011 from 9:00hrs to 13:00hrs.
41 people attended the assistive technology advocacy day and it consisted of community care givers (voluntary from the church), parents, adults and children with disabilities. The Parish Priest in charge of Mtendere church opened the advocacy day with a prayer and some encouraging words. The Coordinator of Home Based Care of Mtendere welcomed the participants. Mr. Miselo made a presentation on Assistive Technology. The presentation was on care giving through the use of Assistive Computer Technology (ACT). He stated that the ACT can: - Let the computer talk on your behalf. - Let the computer recognize your voice and work. - Use the technology when sick to communicate with others.
The objective is to see how the technology can be used by a person with disabilities to enable him or her lead a more purposive life with some skills to do work and at the same time to have time for relaxing and enjoying life. He illustrated the use of ACT with Maliseni Phiri a 24 years old male disabled person. Maliseni was able to do some typing using ACT. Mr. Chipulu gave a short presentation on a website which was brief development by the Chipulu family, dedicated to Christabel Chipulu, a daughter with cerebral palsy. Mr. Chipulu mentioned that the family intends to build a special education school with a modern gym in Makeni, Lusaka. A one hectare plot is already secured for the project.
The focus of the school is to use Assistive Technology (AT) for pupils with disabilities. Christabel was allowed to demonstrate how she uses the computer to type. Christabel is in her early stages of using the AT and she is making good progress. Mrs. Chipulu then gave a testimony on living with a child with cerebral palsy. She gave the history of Christabel’s condition and how the family has managed to bring up the girl who is now 21 years old. The bottom line is love and care for the child with disabilities and to integrate her in the family activities. There was an open forum for discussions. Many parents expressed happiness at the work of Miselos and Chipulus. They requested that this kind of advocacy should be held regularly.
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