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IT Foundation for the Visually Impaired – INFOALAP

Budapest, Hungary

By donating computers, screen reader and screen magnifier software programmes to blind and partially sighted people, so far, our foundation has brought the world into sight for more than 4000 visually impaired people.

Creating the Braille writing and reading in the 19th century, Braille has opened the door to independent writing and reading for visually impaired people. In our days computer technology has brought revolutionary changes for blind and partially sighted people. Nowadays computer is an important device in study, work and everyday life. Our aim is to help visually impaired people with new devices and technologies.

Donation

The aim of the foundation is to create equal chances for visually impaired people in IT. Blind and partially sighted people need special hardware and software to use computers. For the past 25 years the foundation has been successful in localizing, selling and donating special software and hardware.

The majority of blind and partial sighted people cannot afford expensive software and hardware. With the help of our foundation the necessary assisting technologies can reach many people in Hungary; by using these devices they can learn, work and organize their free time activities. In the past 25 years we have donated more than 4000 software licenses, 600 computers and 800 digital voice recorders.

Country license

From the 24^th of July 2018, blind and partially sighted people can use the internationally widespread JAWS for Windows screen reading, ZoomText screen magnifying programs, and Fusion, the combination of JAWS and ZoomText (products of Vispero) free of charge, due to the cooperation of the Ministry of the Interior and Infoalap.

The licenses can be claimed via a form on http://akadalymentes.magyarorszag.hu by private persons or by legal entities that educate or employ these persons, situated in Hungary and can be downloaded from our website on the following link: https://infoalap.hu/orszag_licenc/

Free of charge, legal usage of these licenses can ease orientation in the electronic world as well as electronic administration of approximately 300,000 citizens.

With the Country license in Hungary project, the foundation has submitted an entry for nomination, and has won a bronze medal on the International Business Awards  competition in Communications or PR Campaign of the Year, in Non-Profit / Charity category.  

Products

JAWS for Windows screen reading software developed for blind people, ZoomText screen magnifier for partially sighted users, and Fusion, the combination of the two are regularly localized, donated and marketed by our foundation.

INFOALAP is the distributor of different special hardware tools –portable Braille-displays, digital desktop and portable magnifier devices.

Education

Our foundation’s IT specialists have been developing training materials for blind and partially sighted people for many years. Most of our developers are not only professionals with many years of teaching experience, but they are also visually impaired themselves, which gives them extra motivation to find the right learning and teaching methods and put them into practice. Our teaching materials are completely accessible to visually impaired people, logically structured, easy to understand, and practice oriented. With their help, it is easy to master the given knowledge unit without special background knowledge, and they can be downloaded free of charge from our website.

With our teaching materials, we not only support blind and visually impaired people in learning IT, but we also want to provide their teachers and assistants with knowledge that they can use to become even more effective in supporting their students We also produce IT training materials using easy-to-understand communication (KÉK) and also accessible training materials on natural sciences for students.

Helpdesk – Why do visually impaired people need an own helpdesk?

While a sighted person uses the computer with a mouse and monitor, a blind person can only use the keyboard. A partially sighted person must know the possibilities to change the color contrast and the way to enlarge the information on the screen. Sighted IT experts have almost no knowledge of keyboard commands, nor about the software and hardware that are necessary for visually impaired people. Our helpdesk offers its services adapted to blind and partially sighted people. People who are interested can try special software that makes life of visually impaired people easier. Our colleagues show you our hardware devices, Braille displays, digital magnifiers. You also have the possibility to learn how to use these devices.

If you have problem with your computer, don’t hesitate, call our helpdesk:

Phone: (36)(1)273-3188,

Mobile: (36)(70)295-9288,

or write a mail to: 

Presentations of assisting technologies

Since its establishment, the foundation has informed its target audience about the novelties. We announce all the information on our website and through the media as well. The foundation also presents technology and gives opportunities to interested people to try technologies in practice.

BeLin

Our foundation develops own software programs, as for example the Hungarian BeLin on a yearly basis. BeLin is a localized and accessible Linux that provides, as an alternative, the possibilities of Linux for visually impaired people free of charge.

International Camp on Communication and Computer (ICC)

Events like an international computer camp can motivate blind and partial sighted young people to acquire computer knowledge. ICC involves today more than 30 countries and is a great example for forming a community of young people with similar interests. These young people have different cultural and social backgrounds, in this camp they play, learn and work together. INFOALAP support the participation of Hungarian youngsters in the camp every year.

Lapról hangra – From page to voice

In this project, volunteers read newspapers for blind and visually impaired people. They upload reading material in mp3 on the website of the programme (www.laprolhangra.hu), where visually impaired people can listen to them. With this site visually impaired people can reach different printed newspapers on an accessible website in human voice. Volunteers and the blind readers can also communicate about the articles, they form a community, can be friends.

If you would like to join the project and help blind people by reading up articles in foreign languages, please contact the project team: 

Tax number of INFOALAP: 18171776-2-42

Bank account number of INFOALAP: OTP 11714006-20403625

Contacts:

Headquarter: 1146 Budapest, Hermina u. 47.
Office: 1145 Budapest, Szugló u. 9-15.
Phone: +36-1-273-3180, +36-20-425-5224
Helpdesk: +36-70-295-9288
Email: