The union of visually impaired persons in Central Equatoria State has graduated 28 visually impaired students who attended computer training in Juba.

The students were divided into two categories: basic and advanced, which entails the use of the internet for those who attended the basic training.

Among them were five women and 23 men who completed the training successfully, and were awarded the certificate of merit to show that they have attended computer training.

Speaking on behalf of the graduates at the ceremony Tuesday, Theophilus Abilo, who graduated with advanced stage of computer skills, said he could now access the internet to get information from all corners of the world like people who are not visually impaired.

Abilo said he is ready to equally compete for any opportunity with people who have their sight using the computer because he has both skills of the basics of computer and internet.

“There is no way people can say a blind person cannot compete with people without disabilities for opportunities with government, NGOs, and companies. Now I can apply online, do my interviews both oral and written using the computer because I have the skill,” Abilo said.

“So, today we are very proud to show the world and our country South Sudan that there is nothing for us without us,” he added.

He said people with no visual impairment doubt the ability of the visually impaired persons whenever they write letters and proposals.

“Even some people in the ministries are wondering when they see our letters, they think we might have got secretaries in our offices to write for us [and yet] it is we who are writing letters to you in the ministries even in proposal development, we are the ones developing our proposals by ourselves,” Abilo said.

Paulino Misaka who is also an artist commonly known as General Paulino lauded the trainers for their patience during the training, pointing out that it is not easy to train a blind person with a computer.

“I want to say that those who trained us have patience because to train a person who does not see is not easy, but even with all challenges, they have managed to give us the skill. They made a lot of effort to ensure we learn and this is because they have the spirit of sharing the knowledge they have with others”, Paulino said of trainers.

“Some people out there would say this person cannot see, and how would he or she use a computer? But that is a lie, now we have apps,” Paulino added.

He called on parents to send their children who are visually impaired to school adding that there is fear in learning.

Meanwhile, Mandela Isaac, one of the trainers who are also visually impaired said they use software installed in the computer that helps the visually impaired people to use the computer.

“We have software called Job Access with Speech JAWS [and] it helps someone who cannot see to listen to everything on the computer. For example, if you want press letter A, it tells you A so as visually impaired people we depend on our ears to where the computer takes us to,” said Isaac.

“Of course the computers have options, it will tell you either yes or no or you cancel so through the software called JAWS we can know what programs are there in the computer,” he further explained the process.

Isaac said all the students they train were successful because as trainers they gave the students much attention to ensure they master everything that is on the computer.

“It has been a process and that process was assisted by the JAWS which helps them to hear. It is not easy because it depends on your attention and you know the English in JAW is one of the whites so if you are not used to the English of the whites it is difficult for you to know where to go” Isaac said.