PROJECT ON-NET
Overbrook Nippon Network on Educational Technology

1. Preface

Welcome to ON-NET, the Overbrook Nippon Network on Educational Technology. We are most grateful to The Nippon Foundation for establishing The Nippon International Blind and Visually Impaired Persons Leadership Program Fund which makes this program possible.

The information that follows is designed to assist those organizations wanting to participate in or learn more about The Overbrook Nippon Network on Educational Technology (ON-NET) and the objectives of this project.

We hope that the information contained here will answer many of your questions about ON-NET. If you have questions after reviewing the material on the following pages, please do not hesitate to contact Larry@obs.org

2. Background Information - ON-NET:

Recently, developments in the field of information technology have resulted in many positive changes and many new challenges for persons who are blind or visually impaired. The Overbrook School for the Blind has been a leader in utilizing these new technologies in preparing its students to lead more productive and satisfying lives.

In 1985 Overbrook developed an International Program to train young blind students and teachers of the blind from throughout the world in the area of access technology. Over the past thirteen years this program has trained two hundred ninety-five individuals who are now using these new technologies in higher education and employment. A number of these individuals have returned home to establish technology training programs for blind children and adults. Today, there is a growing network of individuals in Southeast Asia who are trained and working hard to make the benefits of these new technologies available to blind children and adults throughout the region.

In 1998, The Nippon Foundation (Japan) created the Nippon International Blind and Visually Impaired Persons Leadership Program Fund (hereafter referred to as the Fund) at the Overbrook School for the Blind (hereafter referred to as Overbrook) to assist in making the benefits of new developments in access technology more widely available to blind and visually impaired persons worldwide. Southeast Asia was selected as the first region in which this new initiative would be implemented.

ON-NET will promote these efforts through an organized program of training, technical assistance and material support.

ON-NET will promote efforts within participating countries in Southeast Asia and foster regional collaboration between countries that share areas of mutual interest and concern related to information technology for blind and visually impaired persons. Over the next several years we hope that ON-NET will benefit blind and visually impaired persons in Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar through country-specific and regional efforts.

3. Answers to Frequently Asked Questions:

We hope that answers to the following frequently asked questions will help you to better understand the Fund and ON-NET.

3.1 What is the Fund? The Nippon Foundation has provided an endowment grant to Overbrook. These funds are invested and each year the returns gained from this investment are utilized to support projects designed to assist blind and visually impaired persons to have greater access to the skills and knowledge required to effectively use new technologies in education and employment.

3.2 What are the objectives of ON-NET? The broad objectives of ON-NET are to improve access to education and employment opportunities for blind and visually impaired persons.

3.3 How is ON-NET administered? Overbrook has administrative responsibility for the implementation of the project in each of the countries where the project operates. In each country there is an advisory committee, composed of representatives of organizations that actively support the use of access technologies for blind and visually impaired persons. This committee meets semi-annually and guides the projects' work, evaluates outcomes and makes adjustments in the annual work plan. At a regional level ON-NET has established a Regional Advisory Committee (RAC), consisting of the Project Director and two representatives of each of the countries involved in ON-NET at that time. One of the two country representatives must be from an organization whose governing board is made up of a majority of individuals who are blind or visually impaired. The RAC is chaired by the Project Director.

3.4 What types of activities does ON-NET support? ON-NET supports activities at the local, national and regional levels. The advisory group in each country collects baseline data, reviews needs and makes recommendations regarding the type of project activities that are most needed in that country. Individual organizations then apply for funding to carry out discrete projects. In addition to local and national level activities, one of the main objectives of ON-NET is to promote regional collaboration to address those challenges that are shared by two or more countries involved in this initiative.

3.5 How do I make use of the opportunities that ON- NET provides?
ON-NET distributes information in each country involved in the project to all those organizations that are interested in taking advantage of the project. This information brochure is designed to provide organizations with instructions on how they may apply for support from ON-NET. All requests are then forwarded to the country coordinator who serves as the principal liaison with the Project Director at Overbrook. If you are not aware of the mechanism in your country that handles such requests, you may write directly to the Project Director, Lawrence F. Campbell, Overbrook School for the Blind, 6333 Malvern Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19151-2597 USA Tel: 215-877-0313 ext. 341, Fax: 215-878- 8886 or E-mail: larry@obs.org.

3.6 What are the application and reporting requirements? Specific guidelines have been established and must be followed in applying for support and in reporting on the use of project funds. The deadline for submitting project applications will vary from country to country. Therefore you are advised to seek the advice of the country coordinator or the Project Director for further details.

4. Guiding Principles of ON-NET:

The following "guiding principles" should be reviewed carefully before developing any proposed activities. All project activities will be screened to determine whether they comply with the following "guiding principles":

1. All activities carried out by the project must respond to one of the broad objectives of the project:

• expanding educational opportunities for blind and visually impaired persons
• expanding employment opportunities for blind and visually impaired persons

2. The project will not support activities that, in any way, diminish government or private sector contributions to the area of education and rehabilitation of blind and visually impaired persons.

3. To the greatest extent possible, project resources will be used to leverage other private and public sector resources.

4. All project activities will be designed to maximize, to the greatest extent possible, what is left behind at the end of the project, in terms of trained personnel, materials developed and questions answered.

5. Project activities will, whenever possible, foster collaboration with other organizations and other countries in the Southeast Asia region.

6. All project funds will be segregated into special accounts that may be audited.

7. The project will make every effort to secure secondary benefits from project funds by purchasing goods and services, whenever feasible, from organizations which represent the interests of blind and other disabled and marginalized groups.