Country: Greece

Department: Informatics and Telecommunications, University of Athens

Student: This blind student needed to have access to educational material, the Internet, and to computers in general. He was the first blind student ever to study in this Department.

Challenges: Studying Informatics for a blind student was especially challenging at that time due to lack of Assistive Technology (AT) software that supported math translation. Furthermore, Screen Reader and Braille Translator software did not even support adequately the Greek language. The use of computers and AT software for blind people was essential for this student’s academic success.

Skills and Strategies: The staff of the Speech & Accessibility Laboratory managed to cooperate with main Screen Reader and Braille Translator software companies at USA and Europe in order to incorporate support for the Greek language to their products. Additionally, many students volunteered to help the blind student to study, offering note taking services and private studying sessions. Several times every year our staff announced on students’ mailing lists the need for volunteers and our students responded at all times. The blind student successfully completed his studies and continued to his post-graduate degree in the United Kingdom (University of Birmingham), which he also finished successfully. Now his is working as a software engineer in a private Software Development House in Athens.