According to the WHO, 1 billion people worldwide have a preventable or unaddressed vision impairment. The majority of people with vision loss are over the age of 50, but vision loss can affect people of all ages. David Mutugi, a 20-year-old who is completely blind, is among them. Thankfully, David’s vision impairment has not prevented him from doing what he loves most: music.

David is now a music teacher who teaches sighted children and teenagers how to play musical instruments thanks to the computer assistive technology lessons he learned through the inABLE Computer-Labs-for-the-Blind program.

In 2019, David graduated from St. Lucy High School for the Blind. He received a mean grade of B in his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), earning him a place at Kenyatta University to study special education. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, David capitalized on his talent and began teaching children and teenagers how to play musical instruments in order to earn money throughout the pandemic.

On September 17th, David told WERU FM, a radio station in Meru County, Kenya, that he is grateful to inABLE for providing him with computer skills that have allowed him to be independent and do things that many people believe are impossible for a blind person like him:

“Despite being blind, I can comfortably operate a desktop computer or laptop using NVDA program; I can maneuver around my phone using Talkback, and I can transact money independently on M-Pesa” (a mobile banking App). “I also use social media to communicate with my friends and teach children and teenagers how to play musical instruments,” David added.

The interview centered on understanding accessibility and the importance of inclusivity. “It has been ten years since inABLE set up the first computer lab for the blind in Thika Primary School for The Blind,” said Anthony Ndirangu, inABLE Computer Instructor. Since 2009, over 8,000 blind and visually impaired students have benefited from computer technology education through inABLE.” “As inABLE Computer Instructors, we use NVDA (Non-Visual Desktop Access) as the primary screen reader to train our students in basic and advanced computer skills,” Anthony added. It pleases me to look back and see how much my students have grown, and that is all I need to return to work the next day ready to change more lives.”

This interview drew a number of questions from an audience eager to learn how blind and visually impaired people can operate computers and even withdraw money on their own. A neglected child with a disability is the norm in most African countries, particularly in rural areas. Today, David demonstrated that all parents need to do is feel encouraged to send their children to school, educate them, and then step back to watch them blossom into their full potential.

Thursday, October 8, 2020 was World Sight Day, an annual awareness event held to draw global attention to blindness and vision impairment. This year’s theme was “Hope in Sight.” We at inABLE believe and hope in the potential of all our alumni who strive for independence and careers, like David. 

Written by: Esther Njeri Mwangi, Public Relations Officer, inABLE