On December 17, the .ДЕТИ Online series, organized by the Smart Internet Foundation and the Academy of the Coordination Center for TLD .RU/.РФ, was held on the Safe Information Environment for Children VK platform. The central focus of the event was a presentation of the Незрячим.дети (For the Blind) online simulator, designed to improve digital literacy among schoolchildren with visual impairments.
Viktoria Bunchuk, moderator of the meeting and head of social projects at the Coordination Center and the Foundation, underscored the importance of the project and its mission to ensure that all schoolchildren, regardless of their health status, can comfortably and confidently master modern technologies. The simulator is part of the Coordination Center’s broader educational initiative, Explore the Internet & Govern It, launched in 2012.
The issue proved especially relevant ahead of the New Year, a period when the global community traditionally reflects on inclusiveness and the accessibility of digital resources. The first ten days of December are held under the slogan #включаюинклюзию (#inclusivityon), which is also the name of a campaign launched by Everland, a social enterprise supporting the social integration of people with disabilities. The Незрячим.дети simulator takes part in the campaign’s events every year, demonstrating the efforts of the Russian community to create a comfortable and inclusive digital environment for all.
Olga Yakovleva, head of the Coordination Center’s project department, spoke about the specifics of developing the training tool. Originally, the website of the Explore the Internet & Govern It project was designed for a broad audience, but over time it became clear that a separate training module needed to be tailored specifically to users with visual impairments. This led to the creation of the Незрячим.дети simulator, adapted to their particular needs.
The simulator’s content is designed with auditory perception in mind: the text is brief and concise, the interface is minimalist, and the page structure includes all necessary labels to ensure full compatibility with screen readers. At present, the simulator consists of 15 modules covering a wide range of topics, from computer structure and network architecture to personal data protection and digital culture.
Access to the training tool is free, and registration is optional. Users who wish to track their progress may register and receive a certificate upon completion. Further development of the resource and the addition of new educational materials are planned.
Maxim Ozerov, an employee of the Points of View St. Petersburg library for the blind and visually impaired and a tester of the simulator, expressed his satisfaction with the level of refinement of the resource and the opportunity it provides for independently mastering essential digital skills. He also highlighted accessible devices and technologies that help people with visual impairments integrate into the digital space without barriers, including Braille displays, large-format keyboards, and widely used screen readers such as NVDA and JAWS.
In conclusion, participants noted that initiatives like this make a significant contribution to improving educational quality and social integration for children and young people with special needs. Such projects clearly demonstrate how modern technologies can expand opportunities, horizons, and self-confidence for many talented children.
Videos of all webinars in the .ДЕТИ Online series are available in the official VKontakte community of the Coordination Center for TLD .RU/.РФ.
