Educational technologies for people with special needs — A case study of Blind People's Association, Ahmedabad

The dawn of the twenty first century has witnessed unprecedented development in technology. Competition in every field in the era of globalization, liberalization and privatization has boosted the use of technology including IT applications. Physically normal person adopts technology easily whereas for the physically challenged person it requires special efforts. Advancement in technology is also required to make them techno savvy. Scientific and technological progress of the last few decades has brought not only the economy globalization and worldwide expansion of technologies but changes in social relations, culture, and education as well. Fast development of telecommunications, media, and information technologies bears huge potential of improving the quality of life. It is very important for those, who cannot obtain an appropriate level of education without assistance of educational and technology specialists, i.e. people with special educational needs. Technological advance has unveiled meaningful social opportunities for such citizens by providing a more convenient access to information and communication tools. Thereby, it gives a chance to enhance skills and involve everyone in active social life.