ATRIEV, the only training institution that specializes in information technology for the blind in the Philippines, launches another first. In partnership with Power Mac Center, a chain of reliable Apple retail shops ATRIEV has conducted a two-day training for the blind using the accessibility features of the Mac on November 28 and 29, 2011 at the ATRIEV Training Center, 1680 E. Rodriguez Sr. Blvd., Cubao Quezon City.
Members of the PowerMac Center led by Ms. Lucy Nuñez of Education and Training brought 15 IMac units and 3 MacBook Pro at the ATRIEV Training Center. Three orientation classes were held simultaneously. Tony Llanes, ATRIEV’s Executive Director, had 10 visually impaired students that used the voice over feature of the Mac. Arman Mendoza, ATRIEV’s volunteer trainer, had four highly functional low vision students that tried the Zoom magnification feature of the Mac. Aldrix Jan roxas, ATRIEV’s volunteer trainer, provided non-stop orientation and overview of the various trackpad capability of the MacBook Pro to around 15 to 20 totally blind, low vision and sighted observers.
Various institutions for and by the blind also sent their representatives. Foreign participants of the Christoffel-BlindenMission (CBM) Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) Congress tried the trackpad with the screen curtain on. Four sighted participants from Indonesia and Papua New Guinea navigated through the various menus looking at a black screen with the aid of the voice over. Three sighted teachers from the Philippine National School for the blind also had hands-on experience of the trackpad with voice over. Visually impaired employees of Resources for the Blind also joined the two-day orientation. They personally witnessed and experienced how the blind can use the trackpad with its touch, swipe, and pinch gestures, and navigate through various applications with a tap of a finger and a voice over output.
ATRIEV received positive feedback after the two-day orientation. Most of the blind participants clamored for a more comprehensive training on the use of Mac applications like Pages, Numbers and Keynote. Ms. Nuñez, for her part, committed to support ATRIEV in its efforts to popularized Apple products among the blind.