Ivory Coast-ufhb inaugurates multimedia room in braille for visually impaired students

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A landmark step for inclusive education in Ivory Coast was marked on Thursday as the Félix Houphouët-Boigny University (UFHB) inaugurated its first multimedia room specifically designed for blind and visually impaired students.

The facility, a donation from the MTN Côte d’Ivoire Foundation, is being hailed as a “revolution” in higher education accessibility.

The UFHB Braille Multimedia Room is equipped with ten computers featuring specialized Braille software and audio devices, allowing visually impaired students to navigate the internet, access digital resources, and engage with educational materials on equal footing with their peers.

“It’s a multimedia room with special Braille software. The blind student enters text that appears in normal writing, which is then converted into Braille.

The tool also translates what is written on the screen into audio,” explained Natenin Coulibaly, Secretary General of MTN Côte d’Ivoire and Executive Secretary of the Foundation.

Coulibaly emphasized the significance of the project: “It’s a revolution because it’s the first time in Côte d’Ivoire that a university has been equipped with such a tool for people with disabilities.

The room will allow people with disabilities at the university to open up to the world, to be able to go online like everyone else.” She also noted that the initiative coincides with the 20th anniversary of MTN Côte d’Ivoire and reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to social responsibility.

The Minister of Employment and Social Protection, Adama Kamara, praised the partnership as “dynamic” and underscored its impact on promoting equality.

“This multimedia room will right an injustice and allow the blind to see themselves as normal people.

It is living proof of the solidarity of government action,” Kamara said.

UFHB President Professor Ballo Zié described the donation as “very valuable,” highlighting its role in familiarizing blind students with IT tools, facilitating access to research, and improving overall learning conditions.

Yoann Boussin, president of the Student and School Movement for the Blind and Visually Impaired of Côte d’Ivoire (MESAMCI), pledged that students would make “good use of this room” and expressed gratitude to both the Minister and the MTN Foundation for making the project a reality.

The inauguration of the UFHB Braille Multimedia Room marks a major milestone in inclusive higher education in Ivory Coast, offering visually impaired students unprecedented access to digital learning and opportunities for academic advancement.