VOA常速英语2016--肯尼亚盲人学生通过技术进行学习（在线收听）

In Kenya, Blind Students Learn Through Technology 肯尼亚盲人学生通过技术进行学习

THIKA, KENYA—

Until recently, blind and visually impaired students in Kenya were still using Braille books for their studies. But Kenyan schools for the blind are now beginning to adopt technology that provides material in a audible form -- and in the process expands their opportunities.

Lucas Mwanzia, 17, intently searches the internet for information. Today’s class is on biology. Mwanzia is visually impaired and for the last two years has been attending computer classes at the Thika School for the Blind.

17岁的卢卡斯·玛瓦西亚专心致志地上网搜索着信息。今天的课程是生物学。玛瓦西亚是视障人士而且过去2年来他一直在锡卡盲人学校学习计算机课程。

Mwanzia is in eighth grade, having started school at a later age because of his vision.

玛瓦西亚现在是8年级,由于视障问题，他很久以后才开始上学。

He says the technology has opened up new frontiers that were once inaccessible.

他表示这种技术开辟了曾经无法触及的新领域。

“Braille books are quite expensive and you have to use quite a sum to purchase one," Mwanzia explained. "But now since we have computers we get the books at virtually no cost. So we download the various books to read and when are done we just close the program.”

“盲文书籍非常昂贵,而且你需要花很多钱才能买一本。但是现在我们有了电脑后实际上不花一分钱就有了书本。因此我们下载各种各样的书来读,完成后我们只需要关闭程序即可。”

'Assistive' technology 

The school embraced "assistive technology" six years ago, enabling blind and visually-impaired students to access information from computers and iPads.

这所盲人学校于6年前开始使用“辅助技术”,这使得盲人及视障学生能够从电脑及ipad上获取信息。

Zachary Muasya, one of the school's teachers, was born blind. He has been teaching the students how to use the technology for about two years now.

学校教师之一的萨克利·穆萨亚,天生就是盲人。2年来他一直教学生们如何使用这项技术。

He says the technology presents opportunities that can level the playing field for his students.

他表示这项技术为他的学生提供了公平竞争的机会。

“Assistive technology equips the learners with very many skills that really make them independent in life," he said. "They can read materials like books, magazines, newspapers by themselves. And apart from that -- assistive technology equips them with employable skills.”

“辅助技术使得学习者具有了很多技能,真正能让他们在生活中独立。他们可以阅读如书籍、杂志及报纸等的材料。而且除此之外辅助技术还能使他们掌握就业技能。”

The assistive technology costs $1,000 for a school to install. But an NGO called InAble has provided it to the schools at no cost.

这项辅助技术安装成本需要1000美元。但一个名为InAble的非政府组织则将这项技术免费提供给学校。

Challenges remain

Peter Okeyo, the program manager at InAble, says blind students using the technology may still face challenges when they move to higher education.

InAble的项目经理彼得·奥克耶表示使用这项技术的盲人学生可能在接受高等教育后仍然面临着难题。

“When learners move from primary to high school and then to universities, they go to university and then they realize there is not that technology," Okeyo said. "So the fact that they learnt that technology in primary and high school, when they move to university they go back to braille which is another challenge to them.”

“当学习者从初级升至高中再到大学,他们去上大学,然后他们会意识到那里没有这种技术。因此在小学和高中阶段掌握的这种技术,会在他们进入大学后成为另一个难题。”

So far, four out of Kenya's 11 schools for the blind have adopted the technology. InAble says it will provide the funding for the remaining schools to come on board.

到目前为止,肯尼亚11所盲人学校中的4所均已使用这项技术。InAble表示将为剩下的学校提供资金。