The Visis App Initiative
Vinsighte
(
Private sector
)
#SDGAction53563
Description
The Visis App initiative by Vinsighte is an African initiative that addresses poor quality and non-inclusive education for visually impaired and blind children and youths. We provide an AI-based assistive reading technology known as Visis that helps the blind to read printed books, identify scenes, objects, and colors independently.
To successfully implement “The Visis Initiative by Vinsighte”, we designed an assistive reading solution called Visis. Visis is an Artificial Intelligence application that aids the visually impaired to read printed books and educational materials independently and conveniently. It works by using OCR to capture printed books and read these books aloud to the visually impaired user. The Visis app also has special features that use computer vision to aid visually impaired children in identifying environments, objects, colors independently.
Visis is integrated into digital devices and distributed to schools of the visually impaired and organizations and communities of the visually impaired via our partners, community workers, and technology experts.
"The Visis App Initiative '' by Vinsighte focuses on addressing the educational needs of visually impaired and blind children and youths in Nigeria through the use of their AI-based assistive reading technology. To ensure the success of the initiative and widespread adoption of the technology, several arrangements for capacity-building and technology transfer are in place:
Training Workshops: Vinsighte conducts Visis App training for educators, community workers, and technology experts who work directly with visually impaired individuals. These trainings provide hands-on experiences on how to effectively use and implement the Visis app. Participants are trained on how to integrate the app into digital mobile devices and how to assist visually impaired individuals in using the technology independently.
Educational Institutions Collaboration: Vinsighte collaborates with schools and institutions for the visually impaired to provide specialized training sessions. These sessions help educators of these visually impaired students understand how to integrate the Visis app into their curriculum and teaching methods. This collaboration ensures that visually impaired students receive comprehensive support in using the technology for their educational needs.
Partnership with Technology Experts: Through partnerships with organizations like MIT's Solv[ED] and technology companies like Atos and GIZ, technology experts are actively involved in the initiative. These experts not just contribute to the development, improvement, and customization of the Visis app to suit the specific needs of visually impaired individuals but also provide expertise, resources, and best practices from their global networks to enhance the initiative's impact and sustainability.
Technology Transfer to Community Workers: Vinsighte works closely with community workers like Project Enable, the association for the blind in Nigeria, and Lawsanaid as they are often the first point of contact for visually impaired individuals. These workers are trained to introduce the technology, provide basic troubleshooting, and offer guidance on using the app effectively. This approach ensures that our technology reaches even the most marginalized visually impaired person.
Continuous Support and Feedback Loop: At Vinsighte, we maintain an ongoing feedback loop with beneficiaries, educators, and partners. This helps identify areas for improvement and further capacity-building. We initiate regular feedback sessions and user surveys to understand the challenges and successes of the technology's implementation, enabling continuous refinement and enhancement.
The Visis App initiative by Vinsighte is led by a team of experienced business experts, doctors, and software developers. Led by Kolawole Oluwatomisin, who is the co-founder and CEO with a track record of driving innovation and business growth in Africa, the team also includes Olokuntoye Olarinde, a co-founder and Chief operating officer, experienced in sales and operations, Adesanya Ayokunle, a co-founder and VP Technology and an expert in software development, and Toriola Oladeji who is the programs Director and a sociologist with experience in managing social impact startups.
The evaluation of “the Visis initiative by Vinsighte'' is based on the number of visually impaired persons who have used our solution to read and improve their education outcomes in schools and institutions. The Visis initiative is currently helping over 8000 visually impaired persons across Nigeria and in 7 institutions in 4 states enjoys access to inclusive education by aiding them to read books independently and conveniently.
The feedback analysis from students and teachers in schools for the visually impaired using Visis app revealed that it has been very effective in aiding visually impaired students read printed books which they usually do not have access to except a human aid assists them by reading to them. Over 90% of the students in the 7 institutions our apps are being used in Nigeria are able to use the app to read educational materials independently and conveniently and clearly understand what is being read or assessed.
Facebook, ACT foundation, Merck, Rotary Club, Core group(USA), Roddenberry foundation, StartaVC, Orange corners of Netherlands, Atos and GIZ, Solv[ED] by MIT.
SDGS & Targets
Goal 4
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
4.1
By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes
4.1.1
Proportion of children and young people (a) in grades 2/3; (b) at the end of primary; and (c) at the end of lower secondary achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in (i) reading and (ii) mathematics, by sex
4.1.2
Completion rate (primary education, lower secondary education, upper secondary education)
4.2
By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education
4.2.1
Proportion of children aged 24–59 months who are developmentally on track in health, learning and psychosocial well-being, by sex
4.2.2
Participation rate in organized learning (one year before the official primary entry age), by sex
4.3
By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university
4.3.1
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, by sex
4.4
By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship
4.4.1
Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill
4.5
4.5.1
Parity indices (female/male, rural/urban, bottom/top wealth quintile and others such as disability status, indigenous peoples and conflict-affected, as data become available) for all education indicators on this list that can be disaggregated
4.6
By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy
4.6.1
Proportion of population in a given age group achieving at least a fixed level of proficiency in functional (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills, by sex
4.7
By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development
4.7.1
Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education and (d) student assessment
4.a
Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all
4.a.1
Proportion of schools offering basic services, by type of service
4.b
4.b.1
Volume of official development assistance flows for scholarships by sector and type of study
4.c
By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing States
4.c.1
Proportion of teachers with the minimum required qualifications, by education level
Goal 8
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
8.1
8.1.1
Annual growth rate of real GDP per capita
8.2
Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors
8.2.1
Annual growth rate of real GDP per employed person
8.3
Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services
8.3.1
Proportion of informal employment in total employment, by sector and sex
8.4
Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production, with developed countries taking the lead
8.4.1
Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP
8.4.2
Domestic material consumption, domestic material consumption per capita, and domestic material consumption per GDP
8.5
8.5.1
Average hourly earnings of female and male employees, by occupation, age and persons with disabilities
8.5.2
Unemployment rate, by sex, age and persons with disabilities
8.6
8.6.1
Proportion of youth (aged 15-24 years) not in education, employment or training
8.7
Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms
8.7.1
Proportion and number of children aged 5‑17 years engaged in child labour, by sex and age
8.8
Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment
8.8.1
Fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 workers, by sex and migrant status
8.8.2
Level of national compliance with labour rights (freedom of association and collective bargaining) based on International Labour Organization (ILO) textual sources and national legislation, by sex and migrant status
8.9
By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products
8.9.1
Tourism direct GDP as a proportion of total GDP and in growth rate
8.10
Strengthen the capacity of domestic financial institutions to encourage and expand access to banking, insurance and financial services for all
8.10.1
(a) Number of commercial bank branches per 100,000 adults and (b) number of automated teller machines (ATMs) per 100,000 adults
8.10.2
Proportion of adults (15 years and older) with an account at a bank or other financial institution or with a mobile-money-service provider
8.a
8.a.1
Aid for Trade commitments and disbursements
8.b
By 2020, develop and operationalize a global strategy for youth employment and implement the Global Jobs Pact of the International Labour Organization
8.b.1
Existence of a developed and operationalized national strategy for youth employment, as a distinct strategy or as part of a national employment strategy
SDG 14 targets covered
| Name | Description |
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Deliverables & Timeline
Resources mobilized
Partnership Progress
Feedback
Action Network
Type of initiative
Share
Timeline
Entity
Geographical coverage
Other beneficiaries
Visually impaired, blind children and youths in Nigeria.
More information
Countries
Contact Information
Oluwatomisin Kolawole, Dr.