OUR STORY

Originally known as “Our Reading Spaces”, inABLE’s journey began in 2006, with an initial goal to establish reading havens for impoverished children in the rural areas of Kenya. However, when founder Irene Mbari-Kirika, traveled to Kairi - a rural village in Thika, Kenya- in 2008, she met a group of bright, eager and quite competitive blind and visually impaired students who demonstrated a love of learning, despite the limited resources and support available.
To improve future opportunities for these blind and visually challenged students, Irene Mbari-Kirika expanded the organization’s mission to connect Kenya’s blind and visually impaired students and teachers with life-changing computer-based educational tools and improved library services so that every Kenyan student can realize their potential

Challenge: Today, there is an urgent need to connect Kenyan blind and visually impaired students and teachers with life-changing computer-based educational tools and improved library services.

One Braille book must be shared by four or more students, because Braille books are extremely expensive.

It takes seven large volumes of Braille books to read a typical Harry Potter novel. Right now blind and visually impaired students must withstand the heavy weight of Braille books to carry home a popular novel.

Writing a report takes three times the work for a blind teacher. Blind teachers must first Braille a report, and then dictate it to a sighted person, who then translates to regular print for the school administration.

 

Solution: Create learning havens complete with computer labs and library services.

1. Facilitate learning using computers with special hardware, such as scanners and refreshable Braille displays.
2. Provide blind and visually impaired students access to the same educational materials as sighted students with software written specifically for the blind, such as optical character recognition applications and screen readers.
3. Convert spoken words to text with speech recognition software to eliminate the need for Braille to text translations and enable direct communication and interaction.
4. Share educational resources using reusable flash drives or CD ROMs.
5. Download and save books using portable MP3 players, instead of loading up a student with heavy Braille books.
6. Improve curriculums with access to worldwide library materials at agencies for the blind, such as the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in the United States, or the RNIB in the United Kingdom.
7. Connect to Bookshare to give students access to over 10,000 books online.
8. Increase computer skills and education to improve employment opportunities.
9. Create a 21st century learning environment where Disability is NOT Inability.
10. Encourage lifelong learning at community libraries