Hanadi AL Omani, a Kuwaiti blind who teaches those endowed with eye sight how to use computer. 

She learnt by herself without teacher the maintenance. She can add memory cards or other add on cards and will soon start her own website.

Let us hear if from her, she says :
From the time I heard about internet it became my dream to enter this world, but what was available from systems and programs that time did not permit me to realize my dream. Her relationship with computer started in 1995 with a Navigator system which used to be connected to the P.C and just do the protruding print (Braille letter for Blind) on the screen and nothing else could help to utilize computer powers and nothing improved even 1997 when she started using new instrument (Physio Braille) which she came across in Kuwait Institute for scientific researches till 1999, when she was introduced by the Institute to the new program JAWS, which is audio program reads what loudly what is written on the screen in English which made a different to the best in Hanadi's life, because it made computer speak as she says and in that time she was not convinced with the usual invitation of such programs, and she did not wait for help from anybody so, she started depending on her self only and started using the new program up to the maximum where she learnt how to use the computer, key board and the mouse. Then started to realize her dream by entering into the Internet and E-mails, even chating with others because the program was provided with OCR so she could using the scanner loading pages of books to her computer and converting it to a script on the screen could be read with Electronic Voice so she could benefit from the books. Unfortunately this was only for English text till two month back when she was introduced to the program machine Reader, which is produced by Sakhar Company which open for her new page in her relation with companies and internet because it was for the first time in Arabic and after a training course given by the company to use the program, supported with this new device. She went ahead to open new Horizon in which was closed. Pushed forward by her will power and her skill reflected in her ability to use it in her practical life and to hold the position of Principal of 
AL Noor Printing Press in private education school which is the Authority caring about the handicapped in Kuwait.
And she says, there is no relation between my studies and my work, I am a Law graduate from Kuwait University. After graduation I worked as a Trainee Lawyer with a Lawyer where I discovered that I don't like this job. So I decided not to practise it and since the computer was introduced in AL Noor Press, started entering and taking out the books by computer which was done manually and by this it could provide the books to the Blind faster, and in Arabic, where we could read the daily paper easier. 

The Companies and the Blind Suffering :
            Even though the blind's programs are available now, but this doesn't mean that the Blind Arabs' Lives became more easy and as Hanadi told us, there is no more than 300 Blind using computers in Kuwait and this because of high cost of the needed equipments, where JAWS is priced at around 300K.D (US $ 976) ( 1 KD = US $ 3.25) and upgrading copy is K.D 30, while Sakhar program is up to KD 1000 /- ( US $ 3250) plus the cost of the P.C. which is around KD 400 /- for the assembled one and upto KD 1000 /- for the branded one, excluding Braille Printer which cost almost KD 1000/-
So, to calculate this you find that the blind need nearly (US $ 8800 – 10700 ) to buy a computer, and if this is counted as a high price in a country like Kuwait where the average personal income is one of the highest in the world. Imagine in the other Arab countries.
So Hanadi suggests the government should support the blind people to get subsidized prices for these P.C's & programs. Companies should give discount on their products, and Arab Companies should do there best to Arabize the blind's programs, to give them more options and no doubt, Hanadi is right. If there are companies who care only about the profit, so if they become to know that there is a big slice of customer's they will think about a big market ready to receive these products.

            And Hanadi confirms that computer became very important in blind's life, with if you don't need any one to read for you books or letters as it was before. Hanadi as a member and reporter in the Computer committee in Kuwait Blind Association disclosed that the association will shortly conduct training courses for Blind but mentioned that this association is a private one and gets very limited support from the government which doesn't cover even the basic expenses and she asked to increase the interest about the available programs which have so many difficulties. Even though JAWS is the best when using English but, it is not available in Arabic, and the only dealer's for it are in Dubai & Cairo (The Arab World) and its new version does not work except with English Windows only. But for Audio Reader from Sakhar, it should have the Arabic support and this support for only (3) Arabic fonts and does not read script from internet pages which use Frames and protection switch should be connected. She also criticized the Arabic Site which serves the blinds and said they are very rare and if found it will be useless and does not provide any services. At the same time the foreign sites provide a lot of services like information useful programs, and chatting for blind and with the help of the internet and from my own website. I established many friendships, Hanadi also plays so many game provided on this sites with her fellow blind, like web site WWW.jfwlite.com who provides some games which are meant only for blinds among other games.

Necessity is the Mother of Invention :
            You can't count Hanadi as an ordinary user for the computer like others who freezes if there system stops working and start calling service people but Hanadi tries to fix the problem herself and only when she is sure that the problem requires a specialized service person. She tries to repair it her self or gets some help on line from specialized person and in many cases she succeeds to restore the original situation, and I was surprised when she confirmed that she does upgrade the RAM by herself even when she needs to add some cards like sound card, she does it by herself and that is not enough for her, she is trying to learn how to format the Hand Disc and install to O.S Windows without any help but since the P.C is silent during such operation. So, she asks some one to do it in front of her once that she can memorize the sounds of each step and when I told her that these operation are not of a daily routine and not required for a long period, she said she liked to be prepared for all possibilities, otherwise she could be first Arab Blind who attended a course for Windows 2000 Professional which will be provided by Microsoft freely after presenting her with all programs needed and why she wants to attend this course as she says because she want to learn about the nets and how to solve the network problems.
It became repetition to say that Hanadi doesn't need any one to install any new program on her computer or to check and run antivirus and the most exciting where she confessed that she tried to use penetrating program which are used by Hackes because she wanted to know everything. I reached a stage where I preferred to withdraw myself not to damage her P.C.
        

             And because necessity is the mother of invention even with a girl like Hanadi, she is now experimenting to connect her mobile with the computer to control it and its contents through the text reader programs in order to control it and its contents as well as dealing with the telephone numbers stored therein and the received and dialed messages where she now use Nokia communicator for which she got a German made speaking program. She wants to monitor all the other types of mobiles. When I asked Hanadi about using the computer by her family members, she answered laughing " I am the only user of computer till now and I teach them how to use it and to deal with the internet.

            As to her future projects, she is designing her website which is expected to be launched during the last two months of this year. I left Hanadi with self proud of this Arab girl who continued giving in spite of her blindness.