The Blind Assistance App in Uganda: A Breakthrough in Teaching

Due to the sluggish advancement of assistive technology, many visually impaired children in Africa still find it difficult to read braille texts, which contributes to high school dropout rates. To help with this problem, a Ugandan development team has developed the Blind Assistant app, which has the ability to read papers aloud.

One of the Blind Assistant app’s co-founders, Susan Nakajje, revealed that they first instruct users on how to use cellphones.

Some people were overjoyed to receive and become proficient with a smartphone. “The introduction of the Blind Assistant app was met with enthusiasm, as it allowed users to read independently, even during exams without having to wait for texts to be converted to braille,” she stated.

One of the first schools in central Uganda to provide training for its 24 visually challenged students and their assistants was Sir Apollo Kaggwa Secondary School.

The software, created locally by Suzie Water Harvesting Co., is one of many accessible apps that make use of the connectivity, portability, and camera features of smartphones.

Many of these children have been forced to rely on their friends for daily assistance, like reading and finding their way to class, because of a lack of resources.