Cisco Academy for the Vision Impaired

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CAVI is a project of the
Curtin University Centre for Accessible Technology Curtin University Centre for Accessible Technology

Welcome to the Cisco Academy for the Vision Impaired

A leading computer skills academy for blind and vision impaired people around the world

What is CAVI?

If you ever thought blind people couldn't fix computers, design websites, build networks and teach others to do the same, then please think again! Read on...

Image of blind Instructor Showing Blind Student a Motherboard and CAVI Logo

Welcome to the Cisco Academy for the Vision Impaired, (CAVI)

CAVI provides accredited Cisco Academy courses, computer skills courses, and employment opportunities for people who are totally or partially blind

Courses on offer

  • Cisco - ITE Essentials
  • CCNA Exploration1
  • Introduction to Linux Server Administration
  • Introduction to HTML 5 and CSS
  • Computers 101, both a Mac and PC edition
  • Audio Editing Fundamentals

The ITE and Exploration courses go towards full Cisco Certification, which several of our students have accomplished.

In addition to the Cisco courses, Cavi also produces courses customized for visually impaired people who want to learn a broad range of computer skills such as:

  • Computers 101, basic computer and screenreader usage
  • Introduction to HTML5 and CSS, web design for beginners
  • Introduction to Linux Command-line administration
  • Advanced Linux command-line administration
  • Audio Editing Fundamentals
  • Accessible PABX administration (Coming soon)

For more information about courses offered please see Cavi Course offerings

Employment

In our first year of intake, 23 of 24 students achieved gainful employment. Since then, many of our students have gone on to work in various sectors of the technology field.

Course Delivery

Our courses are flexibily delivered to both local students who are present at the Association for the Blind Western Australia in Perth and to remote students via the internet.

Remote students use a free and accessible piece of software to log on to a lecture live where they can participate as if they were in the class room. Please see: Remote Laboratories Virtual Classroom & Tactile Tools for more information.

Both local and remote students are required to complete all work sheets and labs by submitting them to their lecturers via E-mail for marking. They then log on to the Netacad web site to take each chapter's exam and the final exam at the completion of their course.

The only modifications of the courses are those necessary to make the content accessible to those using screenreading or magnification programs. These include accessible flash content & diagram descriptions.

On completion of the program the participants will be able to move into IT positions in industry or embark on further education.

CAVI relies on an army of volunteers to create diagram descriptions, provide information in a form better suited to being read with adaptive technologies and to record, edit and present lectures on both the CUCAT web site and this web site for later download and listening.

Who are our Students?

Who is eligible to enroll in CAVI's courses? Students range in age from 18 to 80 and come from countries around the world such as Canada, America, United Kingdom, Egypt, South Africa, India, Barbados, and more. Our requirements are simple, and we are excited about working with people from even more countries this year. Here is a list of our entrnce requirements.

  • You must have a stable broadband internet connection to attend lectures and access written learning materials
  • You must have a headset or some headphones and a microphone to communicate in class.
  • You need to have consistent access to a computer and either a screenreader or magnification program, depending on what you need with your level of vision impairment. For screenreaders, NVDA or JAWS are needed if you're taking the Cisco or HTML courses. Windows Narrator won't work well with our courses./li>
  • Our courses are designed for legally blind or vision impaired people. However, sighted people are allowed to enroll.

Want to learn more and enroll? Visit this link to grab a brochure or an enrollment form.

Donations & Support

The CAVI project provides an affordable education solution that many blind people can't get locally. We never turn students away because of financial need. CAVI is in need of donations and financial support, for more information, please contact us on caviinfo@gmail.com

Awards

,h2 align="center">The Cisco Academy for the Vision Impaired 2011 Anzia Award Winner
Award Anzia-Logo

We are Excited to have won the 2011 ANZIA award in the category of Internet access & digital skills. This category is for an organization that takes part in Initiatives that bring information, knowledge and materials online. The judges felt that the CAVI project was an absolute stand out – not only in this category, but across all of the applications received for the award program this year.

The judges agreed that this project has the potential to make a huge amount of difference to its target group.

The Cisco Academy for the Vision Impaired equips vision impaired people for jobs and raises their self-esteem. Because the needs of this group are substantial, the impact of the project is all-the-greater.

The judges agree this project already has a significant international dimension, and there is no reason why it should not develop as an essentially borderless program. The concept of developing new learning styles is exciting and has application beyond this target group. To assist these lofty goals, the project has strong support and involvement from a major IT company.

CAVI has shown that it is possible to successfully teach blind students remotely using today’s technology and the concept of the "virtual classroom", even in areas with limited access to the Internet. It currently has 18 students in Australia and New Zealand with a total of just under 100 students globally.

Enrollments Now Open!

Currently, the academy offers IT Essentials (I T E), which is a course that teaches maintenance and troubleshooting of computer hardware and software, CCNA Discovery and Exploration,
which teach networking, with an emphasis on Cisco products, and our brand new Linux Administration courses. There is an Intro to Linux course and also an advanced Linux course. Cavi also offers an html5 and CSS course to teach vision impaired people how to design functional accessible and good looking websites.

Inquiries can be made to: caviinfo@ciscovision.org
and Brochures and Application Forms can be downloaded from our Intake 2012 Page.