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ROMANIAN ASSOCIATION OF THE BLIND |
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BRASOV BRANCH |
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106 Castelului Street, 500014 Brasov; Phone / fax: +4-0368-429.123, +4-0268-478.328
E-mail: bvanvr@gmail.com; Web:
Penis mare; Fiscal code: 4317827
Account: RO23WBAN2511000008500569, SANPAOLO IMI Bank Romania, Brasov Br. |
Internet cafe and electronic library for the visually impaired
May 17, 2006, Brasov |
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The opening of the country’s first
internet café for visually impaired people took place on May 17, 2006, at
the head office of the Brasov Association of the Blind. The facility
provides all the necessary conditions to ensure the web access for the
visually impaired people, being used in the same time as reading room for
the association’s electronic library. The access to the provided services
is free for the association’s members.
“The only light you can provide for
a blind person is the light of knowledge. The access to modern information
and communication technologies will represent a big step towards exiting
from the isolation endured by most of the blind people and will allow a
better communication between the visually impaired people and the society
in which they have to integrate” stated Mr. Virgil Lazar, President of the
Brasov Association of the Blind. |
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Mr. Virgil Lazar, the
branch's president, presents the equipment of the new internet cafe |
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The room where the new internet café
was opened has three networked computers, all equipped with voice
synthesizers and screen readers to make their operation accessible for the
visually impaired people. Aided by these computers, the visually impaired
people have the possibility to surf on the web and to use modern
communication tools, as the e-mail, instant messaging and web phone
services.
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The new internet cafe's
computers are equipped with all the necessary tools to make their
operation accessible, including screen readers and voice synthesizers |
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The computers equipment also permits
their use for reading books in all the common electronic formats, giving
the possibility to access the electronic library of the association to the
visually impaired people whom don’t possess the necessary hardware to do
that at home. This library contains at this time over 1,200 titles and is
constantly expanded.
The new internet cafe is opened each
week from Monday to Friday between 9:00 and 12:00. Depending on the existing demands, this program can be
later extended, even to Saturday and Sunday if necessary.
During the opening ceremony the
association also launched its official web site,
www.nevazatoribrasov.ro. The site contains
information about the Brasov Association of the Blind, useful links and a
fundraising campaign aimed to attract the 2% which can be redirected to an
NGO by any Romanian citizen from his 2005 year income tax.
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The audience targeted by the site is formed by the
visually impaired people and their relatives, but also by the potential
partners, volunteers and donors. To reach it's goal the site will be
expanded in the near future by introducing more useful and interesting
information for each target group and by adding an English version. |
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By establishing a permanent presence
on the web, symbolized by the launch of its own web site, the Brasov
Association of the Blind aims to popularize its goals and activities, as a
mean to obtain funding for its current activities and future projects and
as a mean to reach its goal to contribute to the integration in the
society of the visually impaired people.
Also, through the planned future
developments for the site, the Brasov Association of the Blind desires to
improve communication with its partners, non-governmental and governmental
organizations, and with its own members, by offering the most effective
support possible, in a permanently accessible manner.
Related Links
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The branch's web site, a
popular destination for the new "internauts"
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