Jeff Colbourne
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jun 12/98) - Angela Kalluk is about to get wired.

The 11-year-old Weledeh Catholic school student, though blind, is getting a new computer that will enable her to do homework, take class notes and eventually surf the Net.

"With the new technology, materials can be readily available on site, although we will continue to acquire brail texts from the south when necessary," said Maureen O'Hagan, Kalluk's support teacher who mediator between Kalluk and the classroom setting.

O'Hagan is the first to learn how to use the new "Braille and Speak" computer and will soon teach Kalluk the basics.

The new computer will lighten O'Hagen's load in terms of preparing items for Kalluk to read.

At the present time O'Hagan is having to manually braille anything Kalluk can't acquire in braille.

"It's all extremely time consuming so a good portion of her work is delivered orally. This is not a good system because it does not enhance her Braille literacy," said O'Hagan.

The computer allows accessability for the teacher who's making the work and also allows Kalluk the opportunity to edit, insert text or spell check. It has the same functions as a regular computer when the proper programs are installed.

"A very important plus for Angela is that she is entering the 21st century with the technical knowledge that she will require to be successful," said O'Hagan.

To inspire O'Hagan, the school and Kalluk about the benefits of the Braille and Speak, the school board invited Dianne McConnell, a disabilities consultant from Edmonton to Yellowknife.

Besides having a doctorate in psychology, and a member of the Canadian National Institute of the Blind, McConnell has three children, One girl and two young boys, both of whom are visually impaired. One boy, Ben, 11, is totally blind.

McConnell said Ben is testament to the wonderful things the Braille and Speak computer can do.

He can surf specific Internet Web sites and can type 150 words a minute, without any help from a synthesized voice built into the computer. He is so confident using it that he has the voice turned off.

"For my own son, I look at the joy that he has for school and how well he does in school. It's been possible because of the support and the technology that's been there for him," said McConnell.

The Lion's Club donated $5,000 to the school board to bring the consultants to Yellowknife to introduce the Braille and Speak.

The Elks donated the money three years ago to pay for the computer, which cost approximately $3,000.

Each program for the computer ranges between $5,000 and $7,000.