Old laptops transform the lives of Africa's blind

To make the laptops easier to use, raised plastic stickers are added to the most important keys. However, although the laptop can dramatically improve the way of life for fully blind students such as Johnson, it is still a device primarily designed for sighted users. Much of the bulk and some of the weight of a laptop is associated with the screen — which is basically redundant. Mobile devices designed specifically for visually impaired users do exist, however, an example being the Freedom Scientific PAC Mate.

According to figures from DFID, there are 244,000 totally blind and 678,000 low-vision Kenyans. There are believed to be around 10,000 totally blind children and 20,000 with poor vision. However, 60 percent of these cases could be reversible through medical intervention, while the rest will require special-needs education.

Photo credit: Glenn Edwards