Hello all,

As a current student of CAVI or otherwise known as the Cisco Academy for the Vision Impaired, I thought I would re-post this press-release that CAVI is circulating on my site to promote their classes. I have personally found the experience through CAVI to be both very rewarding and enjoyable. After taking CAVI’s Exploration 1 course, I now know far more about networking and the internet than I ever could have imagined. In addition I have taken the Introduction to Linux Administration course and am far more confident in a Linux command line than ever before. In addition, as I am already CompTIA A+ certified and have worked in IT in a professional capacity, I am one of the IT Essentials instructors. I have heard arguments against blind or visually impaired people learning in an environment such as that which CAVI offers, saying that blind people should learn in a main stream only environment, however for classes such as these I disagree. The people teaching these courses have the knowledge and experience with the assistive technology to help their students insure that they can find solutions to many challenges which a regular institution could not offer. A good example of this would be proper settings for a terminal to allow proper reading of router and linux configuration screens or the registry mods to allow the sound card to be used in safe mode. I would highly recommend anyone with an interest in computers and technology who wishes to learn about hardware and software for the purposes of achieving their CompTIA A Plus certification or who wishes to learn about networking and the internet, pursuing certification in the CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate.) These courses are also very useful for those who may just want to expand their knowledge of computers in general regardless of whether they are planning to take on further studies. Recently CAVI also announced that they will be launching a new course in Advanced Linux administration as well as an HTML 5 course for those who are visually impaired.

As this site is dedicated to providing you with quality information you can use, I thought that it was very relevant to post this here.

Below you will find a copy of the actual CAVI press release.

Enjoy_____________________________________________

Cisco Academy for the Vision Impaired (CAVI)

THE FUTURE IS YOURS.GAIN THE KNOWLEDGE AND GET THE SKILLS FOR A HIGH-TECH CAREER TODAY.

Welcome To Your Future

Welcome to the Cisco Academy for the Vision Impaired. If you’re interested in improving your computer skills, you’re in the right place. We look forward to serving you and are glad you’re interested in our courses.

Students interested in expanding their computer knowledge or starting a career in the high-tech industry will find what they are looking for with courses from The Cisco Academy for the Vision Impaired, a project under the auspices of the Association for the Blind of Western Australia. Those taking the course will have access to IT content written by a team of information technology education experts, and they will also be exposed to a rich learning experience through online media with hands-on labs. The Academy program includes web-based courses complete with engaging activities such as animated simulations, video, and interactive quizzes, along with valuable hands-on lab exercises for real world experience.

Our instructors are vision impaired and have extensive experience working in the IT industry. In addition to presenting lectures, they provide customized individual feedback to students as they complete labs and exams. Study groups give students an opportunity to practice the skills they learned in class, working both as individuals and as part of a team.

Who We Are

The first CISCO training academy for people who are blind or vision impaired (CAVI) was established in Australia in 2007 by Curtin University and the Association for the Blind of Western Australia, with funding provided by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations in Australia. It is the first of its kind in the world.

The Academy operates from within the Industry Skills Centre at the Association for the Blind and provides the option of attending local classes for nearby students, or participating in remote classes held online for students around the world, requiring the use of a microphone and headphones. All training is delivered in a format that is fully accessible to people with vision impairment, and the instructors are blind professionals working in the IT field.

Entrence requirements

To be eligible for enrollment, you must have reasonable literacy skills (equivalent to English reading level at age 16 years) and be able to use assistive technology to access a computer. Assistive technology skills must be well developed to ensure that you are able to fully utilise the online and electronic resources. You should be comfortable with accessing information from the World Wide Web and be able to read and navigate long documents. All students need consistent access to a machine running Windows to complete the courses.Finally, all remote students are required to have and use a microphone headset to attend live lectures and to participate in one on one mentoring sessions with instructors.Students will be required to use Skype and Ventrilo voice chatting software over time, though knowledge of these programs is not an entrance requirement.Upon application to the Academy, an instructor will contact you to check the configuration of your computer to ensure that you have the ability to access the training resources.

Our Courses

The Academy currently has seven courses available in an accessible format. Students are welcome to enroll in any course they like in any order they like unless a course has a prerequisite. Our courses are:

1. • IT Essentials: Learn how to configure, repair, and install PC hardware and softwareThis course provides a comprehensive overview of computer fundamentals and an introduction to advanced concepts. It is intended for people who wish to pursue careers in IT and gain practical knowledge of how a computer works. This course prepares students to take the A+ certification exam if they wish, and students who complete the course may find work as a technical support representative. At the end of this course, you should be able to:
   1.  Describe and identify the internal components of a computer
   2.  Assemble a computer system
   3.  Install an operating system
   4.  Troubleshoot using system tools and diagnostic software
   5.  Connect computers to the Internet
   6.  Share resources in a networked environment
   7.  Install and troubleshoot peripherals such as printers and scanners
2. Building Websites With HTML 5: Learn to build your own website from scratch

   This course is designed for both those who are new to HTML as well as those people who want to upgrade their HTML skills to use HTML 5. HTML is the basic building block of websites. Students will learn to build a website from the ground up using practical techniques that work for vision impaired people. Topics covered include:

   1.  Choosing a web address and web hosting provider
   2.  Using an FTP program and HTML editor
   3.  Adding text, links, and lists to your website
   4.  Choosing a color scheme for your site
   5.  Adding audio and video content to your pages
   6.  Adding images to your site
   7.  Adding a shopping cart and contact form to your site
   8.  Using security measures to protect your visitors and your site
3. CCNA Discovery: An introduction to networking

   This curriculum teaches networking covering the types of practical networks students may encounter, featuring concepts found in simple home or small office networks with a brief introduction to more complex enterprise models. Students learn the technical skills and soft skills needed to succeed in entry-level networking professions such as a help desk technician, pre-sales support technician, or network technician. CCNA Discovery also provides an introduction to advanced technologies such as voice, video, wireless networking, and security.

4. • Intro to Linux administration for the vision impaired: Learn to use Ubuntu Linux like a pro This course introduces command line-based Linux from an accessible point of view. This course teaches basic Linux usage, file management, shell scripting, and adding hardware. The course emphasizes systems administration tasks such as running a web server, running a mail server, and installing a wiki. After completing this course, students will have the skills necessary to run a TeamTalk server, though this is not part of the coursework.

    The introduction to Linux systems administration from a vision impaired person’s perspective course aims to take a student from wondering, “What is Linux?, to installing and using a Linux-based server system via SSH. Some of the areas covered include:

   1.  An overview of Linux
   2.  Planning for Linux installation
   3.  Understanding how virtual machines can work with Linux
   4.  Using terminal emulation software.
   5.  Disk partitioning and volume management with LVM and raid.
   6.  Installing Linux with a virtual or machine accessibly.
   7.  Initial server configuration tasks.
   8.  Accessing documentation easily. Installation and configuration of a webserver.
   9.  Installation of DNS and an email server.
   10.  Installation of a simple Wiki.
   11.  Student suggested tasks.
5. Advanced Linux System Administration: Kick your Linux server into high gear

   This course covers advanced tasks related to systems and server administration. You either need to have completed our Intro to Linux course or take a placement quiz to be sure you have the foundational skills necessary for this class. Students who take this course need to be comfortable with using the Linux shell, working with files, using an editor, and basic package installation.

    The course will cover the following topics and more:

   1.  Manage, configure, and troubleshoot storage systems.
   2.  Configuration and maintenance of email software and agents
   3.  Automating system tasks with shell scripts, Perl scripts, and other languages
   4.  Examining and understanding system logs
   5.  •Configuring and troubleshooting firewalls and protecting systems
   6.  Installing, configuring, and managing apache
   7.  Installing Linux on a real versus virtual machine
   8. Students may propose additional topics as time permits.
6. CCNA Exploration

   This is a more advanced networking course than our Discovery course, consisting of both theoretical and hands-on aspects of networking. You do not need to take Discovery before taking this course. This course helps students who want to work in the IT industry learn skills necessary to take the CCENT exam and work as a help desk support technician, network installer, network technician, or as a support technician for an internet service provider.

   Students will learn about how data flows through networks, how to design physical and logical networks, aspects of network security, and how to configure enterprise network routers and switches. Students will also learn concepts that allow subnetting, traffic shaping, and setting access permissions for various portions of networks.

You can get more information at both the Cisco Vision web site: www.ciscovision.org and the CUCAT web site: www.cucat.org

2012Timetable

The academic year is split into two Semesters:

1. Semester 1 – February 1 to July 6
2. Semester 2 – August 3 December20.

Fees

On acceptance of enrolment, students will be invoiced US$500 per course per semester to study with CAVI. We offer scholarships and payment plans for students who pay for courses out of pocket, and who are not receiving vocational services. Eligibility for scholarships is assessed upon application to the academy, and no further action needs to be taken by the student upon eligibility.

Application for enrolment

Application for entry to study with CAVI must be made by completing an application form. The final date for enrollment application submission for semester 2 is July 31, 2012.If you would like an application form please email: caviinfo@ciscovision.orgYou will be given a link to download an application in word or rtf format.In addition You can get an application form from the Ciscovision website. If you have trouble retrieving the application please email us for assistance.

We look forward to working with you.