Promote the use ICT in SNE – Syria

The use (ICT) in special needs education (SNE) is very high on the political agendas of countries.
They we need to be taken to move into the information society and the central role played by education in making the information society a reality is clearly highlighted.
Until now information on the use of ICT in the field of special needs education (SNE) has been limited to national and region level and very little information has been available at the world level.
What the key information sources available, and what specialists see as being the future of ICT in disable people.
The ICT in SNE Project in Context
Sets the project information into a wider context. The subject presents points of view on special needs education, We will which promote the use of ICT in educational sectors, rehabilitation, develop disabilities skills, to introduce and support the introduction of ICT into organizations, The present indications are that an "Information Society for All "
The focus in this subject describing the types of provision available within special educational settings as a result of national or regional level policy and the perceived strengths and weaknesses of this provision.
Specialist ICT in SNE support networks
The different types of support structures available within countries focused upon combinations of one or more of the following:
• National dedicated agencies for ICT in education and development skills.
• Support services that work directly with teachers – trainers and pupils within in disabilities students and handicaps.
• Specialist resource centres where volunteers and teachers obtain advice materials and information.
• Specialist regional working groups.
• Specialist websites and on – line networks.
• In school support for training and steaming.
ICT in SNE training

The following factors clearly emerged as concerns:
• Diffused responsibility for policy implementation.
• Attitude barriers in relation to understanding the benefits and possibilities of ICT – at policy and implementation levels.
• Lack of information on needs and requirements of schools and pupils upon which to base policy initiatives.
• Limited finances supporting different aspects of provision or funding that is not needs targeted.
• Lack of specialist teacher training, limited flexibility in training options.
• Limited availability of specialist hard and software resources.
• No formalized national support structure for ICT in SNE.
• Disparity in availability of specialist expertise at regional level.
• Limited availability of specialist information (particularly on –line ) resources.
• Geographical isolation of trainers.
The development of theory for using ICT in SNE is seen as being potentially enhanced if there are opportunities for co –operations between different groups of actors ( pupils and their families, teachers, support professionals and researcher hers ) at national and international levels. Furthermore, the possibility to enhance virtual co –operation with face –to –face meetings and exchanges was raised. The power of ICT as a tool for communication as well as a tool for learning is reinforced by the personal contact and exchange of SEN and ICT specialists.
ICT in SNE- Studies Centre for Handicapped Research.

Internet access
The following suggestions were highlighted with respect to widening access to internet:
• Email with speech recognition. for example in Arab Region and MENA (lBSAR system from Sakhr Co. and Natiq system from Dolphin Co.) now this equipments available in Salamieh Community Telecentre to teach blind and visually impaired to access internet .kindly find link for more information :
http://www.caihand.com/success.htm
• Browsers for pupils with services learning disabilities (Deaf mute – Blind – visually impaired Motor Disabilities with flexible control mechanisms (for example controlled using only a few icons, special mouse, keyboard,…).
• improvement of networking facilities to allow more efficient co – operation between institutions.
• Building a Telecentres for all type disabilities people on –line network (discussion groups ,mailing list, chat ) in MENA, between teachers ,volunteers ,trainers and working with pupils with different disabilities.
• Creation of a very simple system for installation of websites
• The development of an international virtual resource centre with all the information being related to ICT and SEN.
Compatibility / application issues
Four possible areas of concern were identified here:
• Adaptation of standard software to the needs of the children with different disabilities.kindly find link for more info.
http://www.caihand.com/tym.htm
• Models to simplify the frames of windows based programmes. More programme in Salamieh Community Telecentres for Autism and Down's Syndrome pupils.
http://www.caihand.com/phgalley.htm
Co – operation in order to get a standardized storage format for text, pictures and sounds in different teaching materials and software according to the different needs of pupils with SNE ( Autism ,Cerebral Palsy).
What the target of Salamieh Community Telecentre in SNE
1- we will improve the E – learning experience for disabled students studying.
- Disabled students are the target of our project. It is clear that our efforts aim at providing a better learning environment on computer systems for the disabled students. Disabled students spend a good deal of time and effort in order to break the barriers within the society.
- The trainee will gain satisfactory experience that enable him /her to be an active member in society.
- The accomplishment of this level of education for all students can be a highly stressful task for us. In spite of the all the unusual problems, the disabled student is ultimately able to overcome them and start a new life .Further more, the trainee will have an access to job market. In this respect we encourage both local and governmental organizations to ensure job opportunities that emerge for those students.
2- We aim to help academic learning disabilities students to understand the issues relating to the development of accessible learning environment
The project is specifically arranged to create healthy learning environment. Although the term “special needs “is used in its broadest sense yet ,We want to have better understanding for this term by all people .For this reasons ,We have initiated an ambitious move to rehabilitate the disabled and qualify them for good life .The program includes activities such as providing equipments ,access to information at the pre –entry stage ,access to information and use of ICT facilities.
3- We aim to increase the competence and confidence of academic staff in understanding the needs of disabled students.
Although aim two is directed towards providing practical examples of developing accessible teaching environments ,still there is a need to increase the general staff , awareness of better understanding to disability issues.
Finally we have community telecentre promoting all disabled people and give the advice for learning disability students about using ICT to access the world and implementation issues .( Information for All ).

Best Regards .

Nabil Eid
ICT4D – Syria
Salamieh Community Telecentre
Tel: +963 33 832360
Fax: +963 33 832361
E-mail: nabileid21@yahoo.com
Http://www.caihand.com
http:// www.reefnet.gov.sy

Promoting youth through ( ICT )

It's my pleasure to share you another vital topic which , I do believe may open a vast area of discussion and exchange of ideas. I intend to put forward the above mentioned topic" Promoting youth through ICT"
For the following reasons. There is an increasing interest in youth promotion all over the world especially in MENA region.
And another, promoting youth It's one of the main targets in Salamieh Community Telecentre by bridging digital gap in rural Syrian and MENA.

I would like to participate in this subject for describe ways in which youth have been able to Promoting youth through (ICT) has been used to generate youth through (ICT) to develop and implement strategies that give young people in the Syrian society and MENA region everywhere a real chance to find decent and productive work.
And I would like to presented a series of best practice examples demonstrating how young people have used ICT to generate employment opportunities.
On the low-technology end, these based services, working as "information intermediaries" and engaging in e-commerce – economic - based activities in rural areas.

What the role of Telecentres in promoting youth through ICT
- Run and establish telecentres by youth with equipment of technologies.
- Sharing the expense of equipment, skills and access amongst an ever-increasing number of users also helps to cut costs and make these services viable in remote areas.

What barriers youth face through ICT
the barriers young people face in terms of financing, opportunity and skill sets. looking to develop the potential of ICT for generating employment for young people. These are summarized below:
1. Promote youth to participate in ICT.
2. Promote youth to consider self-employment as an option.
3. Develop other application computer skills which will assist in ICT enterprises.
4. Use competitions to generate interest in ICT.
5. Implement youth-friendly credit programmes.
6. Explore public sector and private partnerships.
7. Develop national and regional networks and partnerships.
8. Develop rural business models for public sector and private enterprises
9. Plan and evaluate the knowledge and technology partnerships.
The digital divide is real and best practice examples of ICT-generated employment for youth are not necessarily going to be easy to repeat elsewhere. another option is for young people to use their skills in information technology to develop simple web sites in local languages. to access agricultural, medical and educational information on the Internet. and design local web sites include not only information on agricultural, medical and educational services but also ways to develop existing income generating activities or set up new ones. The web site could also include detailed information about NGO programs to address poverty.

Can we promote the youth capacities in MENA countries, and what the role of Governments.
1- We can sets the context by showing the importance of youth in the demography of MENA countries, the broad definition of information and communication technologies used in the analysis and a categorization of MENA countries according to their differences in technological and socio-economic capacity.
2- Definition the rule of governments in MENA countries for promoting youth ICT? specific ways are proposed for governments to give effect to this recommendation. The first is the need for governments to provide opportunities for youth to acquire ICT literacy, technical skills in ICT, and to look to ICT industries to provide employment or entrepreneurial opportunities for young people.
3- Governments are exhorted to make greater use of both new and traditional information and communication technologies as tools for development and to close the ICT gender gap in terms of access to ICT.
4- The Governments are encouraged to use infrastructure development and appropriate trade and fiscal policies and legislative frameworks to create an enabling environment for ICT diffusion.
Finally, governments are urged to use public-private partnerships to bridge the digital divide for promoting youth through ICT.

Nabil Eid
ICT4D – Syria
Salamieh Community Telecentre
Tel:963-33832360 Fax:963-33832361
nabileid21@yahoo.com
http://www.reefnet.gov.sy
http://www.caihand.com