CAROL Robertson, board chair at the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf, is optimistic that the school’s new smart lab, courtesy of the Digicel Foundation, will create “a more level playing field” for students now and in the future as they navigate and find new ways to bridge the gap for students living in Jamaica with disabilities.

“Technology and the way that it is being used now actually creates a more level playing field because you no longer have to be impatient with the communication barriers of the hearing world,” Robertson told the handing-over ceremony held at the school’s Kingston campus on Monday.

She told the students that they can now adequately represent themselves and participate in the world out there — the global economy — through digital tools, which she said is very important.

Robertson noted that this initiative is important for students as it provides them with a platform to grow and sharpen their skills, despite their challenges.

“There are many persons out there in the world who are performing very skilled professions behind a digital screen and they are having the same results simply because they are no longer viewed as somebody who needs extra assistance. I am a part of your community, and we feel that we don’t necessarily get all open doors because people assume that we can’t,” said Robertson.

She urged students to make use of the devices and capitalise on the opportunity gifted to them by the foundation to maximise their potential.

“Get involved [because] technology will always be scary for somebody. Don’t let it be scary for you. Embrace it, and as the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf and everything that we represent that is godly, it is your responsibility to use the technology in a positive way, honouring God as you go while you use it to serve yourselves,” Robertson said as she encouraged the students.

The Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf, Kingston campus, became the 13th school to receive a smart lab under the Digicel Foundation project to put 21 smart labs into schools.

However, this contribution stands out for more than just providing 12 laptops, 12 tablets, and an interactive smart board like other schools in the programme. According to Kedisha Clarke, communications officer at Digicel Foundation, the room also includes customised features tailored to the unique needs of the students.

“So the space was specially retrofitted to meet the unique needs of our deaf students, [and] the advancements include a visual alert doorbell providing a visual cue for students and staff, a network-attached storage system enabling the recording and storage of large video files, including sign language recordings [and] a high quality webcam facilitating clear and effective communication through video conferencing and online learning platforms,” she said. This smart lab is the second to be established in a special needs institution and the first ever by the foundation in a school for the deaf.

In the meantime, the school’s principal, Terri-Ann Bernard, reflected on the process of building the smart lab, noting that it offers teachers the opportunity to diversify their lessons by introducing students to more interactive learning methods.

“When I bring experiences to them it sticks more. So an interactive board like the one that we’re about to demonstrate definitely goes for that interactive doing, which makes learning happen to a different academia, different learning styles, and the interactive tactile and kinaesthetic where you’re doing things and taking on concepts and making them come to real life is one of the things that I think definitely resonates with our students,” said Bernard.

Acting executive director of the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf, John Meeks, also expressed his gratitude for the smart lab, emphasising how the partnership aligns with the school’s mission of “reaching, teaching, and nurturing” deaf students.

“When you bring two visions together — the Digicel Foundation’s commitment to bridging the digital divide and our mission to reach, teach, and nurture the deaf — the synergy created, the coming together of organisations, foundations with a vision of taking people to the next level only speaks well for the future,” Meeks said.

He emphasised that the smart lab is not just a technological upgrade but a transformative tool that will help bridge communication gaps and empower students.

(From left) Principal at the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf, Kingston Campus, Terri Ann Bernard; student Mackalia Sturlin; Communications officer at Digicel Foundation, Kedisha Clarke; chair of the centre Carol Robertson; acting executive director John Meeks; and student Nathaniel Ross cut the ribbon to signal the opening of the school’s new smart lab.