Task:

We are seeking a consultant to conduct a scoping exercise at a national level in Kenya where Sense International (SI) operates to identify accessible news and information, assistive technology and useful resources for people with deafblindness and those that support them, and to provide recommendations on how the Global Resource Hub on Deafblindness can evolve to become the ‘go to’ portal for people with deafblindness and those who support them

The Assignment

• We are looking for a consultant to undertake a scoping/research assignment at the national level in Kenya, in English to see what is available, what gaps exist and how we can build the Global Hub up to be the go-to place for people with deafblindness / MSI to access news, stories, information etc and for those that support them to do the same.
• We have a vision of people with deafblindness being able to access information (whether books, news etc) the same way as people without disabilities and for the hub to be a trusted source of collated information easily available to them.

SI aims to have the following four broad areas of resources on the hub

• SI/internal resources, to be made available in languages relevant to our countries of operation
• Other INGO/NGO resources relevant to our end users and the people who support them (to include any relevant training courses)
• Government services and referral systems and processes relevant to our end users and the people who support them.

Signposting to

• Books (for example, we want to explore linking to UNICEF’s Accessible Digital Textbooks for All and sites such as Bookshare)
• News websites/information sources where content is available in accessible forms.
• Signposting to technology that would be relevant and suitable for our end users.

Objectives of Scoping

• Identify any key gaps in information that could be developed as part of the Global Resource Hub

Identify what is available in country (and potentially at a global level) in relation to accessible resources/ technology available on a Global/National level in English/ National languages to include but not limited to:

• Resources/ Information that can be signposted or featured on the site in English and in local languages of the countries of SI operation.
• Other INGO resources relevant to our end users and the people who support them.
• Government services and referral systems and processes relevant to our end users and the people who support them.

Signposting to

• Books (for example, we want to explore linking to UNICEF’s Accessible Digital Textbooks for All and sites such as Bookshare)
• News websites/information sources where content is available in accessible forms.
  • Signposting to technology that would be relevant and suitable for our end users (including mobile apps).
• Recommendations to inform direction for the Global Resource Hub (short, medium term and long-term) based on findings.

Target Audience of the Global Hub:

• People with deafblindness/MSI
• People supporting people with deafblindness/ MSI- families, teachers, health professionals, other INGOs/NGOs, Government officials etc.