I.T. ABILITIES:
In the world of today, most especially in this 21st Century of our time, Information Technology (I.T.) has indeed exhibited its vast powers and abilities around the globe. It is a revolution which started as a gradual process with a solid ground of transforming and enhancing certain potent solution to ending the world problems at large. Imagine that we live in a world where there is no scintilla or small amount of technological development, certainly, the global world wouldn’t have been a better place to thrive today.
In the recent time, Information Technology with the use of Internet Access, has brought several opportunities and developments to certain institutions like: government, business, education and other facets of human endeavour. Examples abound:
-Government: uses the Information Technology for internal communication, distribution of information, and automated tax processing.
-Business: In addition to offering goods and services online to customers, businesses use the Information Technology to interact with other businesses.
-Educational institutions: use the Information technology for research, and to deliver online courses and course material to students.
-Other individuals: use the Information Technology for communicating through electronic mail (e-mail), retrieving news, researching information, shopping, paying bills, banking, listening to music, watching movies, and even making telephone calls.)
Therefore, the above mentioned are THE ABILITIES, OPPORTUNITIES AND DEVELOPMENTS which Information Technology has indeed made possible, and making the world a global village. Perhaps, as a matter of fact, Information Technology has covered many countries and cities of the world with highly advanced technological developments, leaving millions of rural and urban communities in dark, which Oshiri as a community is not exempted. So, in this very regards, “it4yus” as a powerful organization has packaged in its best capacity several opportunities and life changing tools for our dear youths with the aims and objectives of securing a better future, enhancing their potentials and encouraging self- independence, etc., etc.
Now the questions are: Will the poor be left behind as jobs and other opportunities as in the case of Nigerian System? Will those with Internet Access enjoy educational advantages over those without such Access? Should the newly established Organization- “it4yus” step in to help? Of course, the first two questions deserve capital ‘NO’ as an answer for each. While the latter question should be awarded ‘YES’ for its answer, because this Organization- “it4yus” was born out of the Creative Minds of this great community Oshiri.
Finally, before I draw this very perspective of my speech to a conclusion, there are other good news which I considered worthy of notice to all Oshirians about this movement, Like a force of nature, this organization- “IT4YUS” is bringing to the Oshiri another digital age which cannot be denied or stopped. It has three very powerful qualities that will result to its ultimate triumphs, which are globalization, harmonization and empowerment. In a broader view of its set goals, “it4yus” is now a revolution which is ready to revolve all spheres of human endeavours, rendering some technological advantages, and humanitarian services to the underdeveloped areas up to the international communities for the attainment of globalization; which will, with no doubt lead to another goal of empowerment with an elasting job opportunities, and drastically reducing or rather eliminating certain indulgements in some social menace like prostitution, stealing, abusing of hard drugs, and cultism, etc., etc.
BREAKING BOUNDARIES:
Information Technology has of course turned the world to a global village. Information Technology brought about the world of possibilities. It is obvious to many that without Information Technology, inevitably, certain people will be left behind, and many tasks will never be accomplished. If you think deeply, and imagine widely, you will realize that Information Technology has broken many boundaries amongst the rich, amongst the poor, and amongst the disabled, etc., etc.
For instance, most wealthy men and women stay at the comfort of their homes carrying out certain online related responsibilities with much ease and less cost, such as; paying bills, booking and buying of flight tickets, and shopping online etc., etc. The poor, on the other hands, with little or no financial support, have engage themselves tremendously in the pervessive influence of Technology by carrying out certain tasks either for themselves or for their office bosses.
At this juncture, my friends, I would like to draw your attention to the wonders which Information Technology has over the years, impacted into the lives of persons living with disabilities.
My fellow Oshirians, I believe very aptly that you all know me, that you all know both my good and ugly stories, especially in my blind world; and I’m sure that in one way or the other, you can make or tell other stories about Chikwado as a blind man.
Without laying much emphasis on this, my friends, I must not hesitate to tell you that if any phenomenon has breached the gaps between persons with disabilities and others, that phenomenon is a technology.
Thankfully, persons with disabilities are not left out in the cold, since they have found some solace or comforts in the immense benefits offered to mankind by technology. Like the other members of the society, the revolution of Technology has brought a great deal of respect to persons with disabilities in certain fields of human life, such as in education, information, communication, mobility, productivity, and human existence in general etc., etc.
Safe to say that Information Technology is now a levelled playing field for all. To start with, the revolution of Information Technology has removed to a reasonable extent, the stumbling blocks which are inherent in the education of the persons living with disabilities.
For instance, in times past, it was unthinkable that a blind or deaf person could go to school. As a matter of fact, persons of this nature were deemed good for nothing, and as such, a suggestion that a blind or deaf person could be formally educated like every other person was greeted with reproach, since learning majorly requires a good sense of vision and audition.
However, with the surge of civilization, people began reckoning with the possibility of such individuals being schooled without marked difficulty. Meanwhile, in the 19th century, Louis Braille, a French teacher, who was himself blind, developed a tactile system of reading, in which blind persons like him could learn by touching inscribed bumpy dots on papers with their fingers.
In modern times, the influence of Information Technology in the education of blind persons has become even more intriguing, as such individuals can now make use of computers, subject only to the installation of assistive screen reading software like job access with speech, (JAWS,) an application that converts displayed texts to speech, with a view to enabling a blind person to operate laptops and desktops like anyone.
With these, those with sight deficiencies, as well as those who cannot see at all, can browse the internet, undertake correspondence learning, have notes in soft copies, Etc.
(Here, I shall be taking few minutes to show some practical examples on how far Information Technology has improved the lives of persons living with disabilities.)
In fact, it would bewilder many to know that blind persons have been so blessed by Information Technology that they can operate virtually all sorts of mobile phones in the world today.
This is because most phones now come with voice and sound assistant applications, such as talkback, voice over, Google text to speech, speech synthesizers, etc.
Furthermore, blind persons, especially in developed countries where internet access is constant, are able to navigate their way through general packet radio service, GPRS.
With specially developed voice assistant applications, a blind person is able to move independently, with little or no assistance from another person.
It is however, gladdening to know that Information Technology has immensely integrated blind and/or persons with visual impairment into the mainstream society, most especially, as it concerns information and communication.
Consequently, corporate bodies would no longer be reluctant to employ persons with disabilities, since Information Technology has made such persons as productive as their able-bodied folks.
Over the years, schools had departed from the usual practice of rejecting students with disabilities, since information Technology has provided an enabling environment for all and sundry to learn effectively.
In conclusion, the Information Technology has made the society see beyond its ignorance that persons with disabilities are no lesser human beings, and should not be treated as such.
RESTORING THE GIFTED:
I would like to start with this wonderful quotes from Lyndon B. Johnson: “Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.”
Today, “IT4YUS” calls for the restoration of the gifted ones among us. In our land- Oshiri community, many talents had lost, many skills are forgotten, and many bright futures are diminishing, and had completely died. Now I can tell every one of you sitting under this roof, that Oshiri has suffered and still suffering from what I called “Community Disability.”
“Community Disability,” is a terrible condition of people living together with no sense of progressive imagination, with no or little hope for survival, with low interest in community development, with little or low level of experience of anything, and of the life which they live, etc, etc., the above mentioned sets of people are completely facing the disabilities of mind, character and action. They are poverty stricken individuals, who have all the mental apparatus to define and edify a better future, yet, they have nothing to offer to their immediate environment let alone to their community in general.
My dear people of Oshiri, it is my pleasure to tell you that after several details of trajectories, a powerful Organization was created.
“IT4YUS,” has come to restore the gifted among us, it has come to rekindle the hopes of our youths, it has come to give to our people some improved heights of learning, and to help us overcome millions of challenges attacking us; and at the end of it all, we shall by the virtue of our victory, becoming a happy people living together..
Speech delivered by Chukwu Chikwado Raphael at IT4YUS 2018 IT Revolution Workshop in Oshiri Dev Center Ebonyi State, Nigeria.