特定非営利活動法人 支援技術開発機構
ユニバーサルデザインと支援技術で実現する知識と情報の共有
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特定非営利活動法人 支援技術開発機構
ユニバーサルデザインと支援技術で実現する知識と情報の共有
ATDO, in collaboration with Village of Hope (VoH), organized a reading session experience for children and young people with reading difficulties. Located in Alexandria, Egypt, VoH is a non-governmental organization serving persons with disabilities. They offer a diverse range of services, including daycare, vocational training for young adults, and sports programs. Additionally, VoH actively advocates for the rights of persons with disabilities and has a proven track record of improving their lives in Egypt.
This workshop is one amongst a series of workshops to promote the use of DAISY as a reading solution for children with reading difficulties.
Each workshop has a specific theme, and this one was about Disaster risk reduction (DRR). The purpose of this reading session was to raise awareness on risks, introduce the young learners to different types of disasters, teach them some basic preparedness and risk reduction strategies, and empower them to take action and contribute to a safer environment in an engaging and relatable way.
In this workshop, 13 participants with ages ranging from 6 to 11 years old took part. Despite the age gap between some of the children, the fun-based approach in the program design helped to ensure that all were able to interact and enjoy the learning experience.
The program started off with self-introductions of team members and children, followed by an ice-breaking game. The game's name is Snowball. The children wrote three pieces of information about themselves on a piece of paper (first letter of their name, color of their clothes and what the aspire to be in the future), then shaped it into a ball, and started playing with it. Then, each one took one paper and tried to guess to whom it belonged.
After the game, children were introduced to DAISY. In a brief hands-on session, they learned about the basic functions and how this alternative method of reading can make reading fun and accessible.
Image1: Workshop participants listening to the demonstration of DAISY books.
Later, they started experiencing DAISY reading themselves. The children (in pairs) read a short story on DRR. After reading, they were divided into two groups, and each group worked together on answering the questions. Then, the two groups had to compete, and the group that got more answers correctly won. The session concluded with a one-on-one interview with participants to collect their feedback.
Image2: Two participants reading attentively a DAISY book using a tablet.
The overall feedback from the children was very positive. This was the first time for all children except three of them to try DAISY. They all agreed that DAISY is a better alternative for reading and studying than standard printed books. One participant mentioned, "DAISY is more fun than printed books and it will help me read more." Another one was excited about the customization features of DAISY; that she can adjust the font size and read with both ears and eyes.
We asked them about the difficulties they face in school. Some mentioned that memorizing information was their biggest challenge, while others struggled with the long duration of their classes and had attention issues.
The participants were eager to join another reading session and provided some recommendations for topics of interest or specific titles they would like to read in DAISY.
Image3: Group photo of ATDO and VoH staff with young participants of the workshop.
Reported by Y.Y