POETA: Working Together to Enable Opportunities for Everyone

An estimated 80 to 90 percent of those living with disabilities in Latin America are unemployed. Through the Partnership for Opportunities in Employment through Technology in the Americas (POETA) program, Microsoft, the Organization of American States (OAS), and The Trust for the Americas (Trust) are working together with Comite Pro Ciegos y Sordos to offer technology training and job placement for disabled individuals of all ages. Recently, Microsoft's Orlando Ayala had the opportunity to visit the POETA center in Guatemala City and speak with some of the individuals whose lives have been enhanced by the program. Watch how the POETA program is connecting the benefits of technology to Guatemala City's blind and deaf population, empowering them with increased job and economic opportunities.

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News & Politics

Tags:

• Microsoft
• POETA
• Trust
• OAS
• Comite
• Pro
• Ciegos
• Sordos
• Guatemala
• City
• unlimited
• potential
• ICT
• Orlando
• Ayala

[deafdreaming]

I had witnessed not all the deaf children failed their oral and fell behind in the lower grades. It was because Guatemalan sign language remained prohibited for many years in school. Deaf children should be allowed to access learning in Guatemalan sign language. I now live in America.

[deafdreaming]

I am a native of Guatemala and am deaf too. It was the School for Deaf Children Fray

Pedro Ponce Of Leon where I attended when I was a little girl. I was an Oralist who didn't access to language in the lower grades of reading and writing.