KKD ready to collaborate with NGOs to increase ICT access for PwD

KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Communications and Digital (KKD) is always ready to forge strategic collaborations with the Malaysian Association for the Blind (MAB) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for persons with disabilities (PwD) to increase access to information and communication technology (ICT) facilities for the group.

Its Deputy Minister Teo Nie Ching (pix) said at the moment, the country is currently falling behind developed nations in providing access to ICT facilities for people with visual impairments.

“Visually impaired people now use various digital mediums to obtain information, including through applications developed by major companies such as Google and Microsoft,” she said in her speech at the launch of World Braille Day 2023 today.

Also present was MAB chief executive officer Datuk George Thomas.

Teo said the collaboration between KKD and MAB as well as other NGOs can be expanded through the organisation of awareness programmes about the rights and needs of the visually impaired community so that this group is not marginalised.

“KKD and I will continue our efforts to raise awareness to help the PwD community so that they are also involved in the socio-economics of our society in line with the Unity Government’s desire,” she said.

Meanwhile, during a press conference, Teo said KKD was also working with MYNIC to ensure that the website was accessible to the PwD community to enable them to be involved in the digital economy.

“In addition, the development of the SaveME 999 DEAF and SaveME 999 BLIND applications is also one of the initiatives to help people with visual or hearing impairments to call the 999 emergency line in the event of any emergency,” she said.

World Braille Day is celebrated on Jan 4 every year to give awareness and exposure to the community of the importance of Braille as a medium of communication for the visually impaired.-Bernama