E-pek@k
e-pek@k is a project that facilitates the usage of information and communication technologies to provide the services for the hearing impaired community (fully and partially) in Malaysia. Deaf organizations in Malaysia. State Level. Kuala Lumpur Society of the Deaf (KLSD). Kuala Lumpur Society of the Deaf (officially abbreviated as KLSD, and known as "Persatuan Orang Pekak Kuala Lumpur" in Malay) is known officially since 1994. It was initially known as Society of Hearing Impaired Federal Territory and Selangor (SHIMA) when it was established on June 23, 1987. In 1992, Selangor split from SHIMA and changed its name  to Society of Hearing Impaired Federal Territory. KLSD is the third deaf organizations to be formed in Malaysia. The first two deaf organizations are the National Society for the Deaf (NSD) and YMCA Deaf Club Kuala Lumpur. These organizations are all organized by the hearing impaired community themselves. Background of e-pek@k. There were not many communication facilities available for the deaf in Malaysia, making long distance communication difficult. They couldn't use normal telephones and there were no text phones or fax machines in facilities for the deaf. The deaf would have to pay for regular phone lines and  bear the additional expense of a fax machine. Although television is a visual application, it was almost useless to deaf viewers, as subtitles were non-existent. Computers, integrated with the Internet, have the potential to be an effective medium for the hearing-impaired person to access information, news, services, job opportunities, and peer support. The internet can also be used as a medium for deaf users to communicate, using means other than the sign language, with anyone around the world, including those who are not hearing-impaired. The Malaysian Federation for the Deaf has noticed this potential and developed the  e-pek@k project. Description. e-pek@k project started out in November 2000 in Malaysia. All of the staff in MFD themselves are hearing-impaired persons. MFD also has strong links with different deaf NGOs and societies. Therefore, they can understand the needs of the deaf community and it will be very easy for them in doing needs analysis, program design, project implementation, training activities, etc. Components of e-pek@k. There are 2 components in e-pek@k: ‘D-administration’ and ‘D-schools’. ‘D-administration’ is a website that provides information, news from deaf community, services, job opportunities and facility for learning  BIM for the deaf community. ‘D-schools’ are deaf schools preinstalled with ICT facilities, along with the provision of IT training and education by e-pek@k. D-administration (D-Tadbir). In the e-pek@k website, it provides the access to information and services as shown below: During the implementation of e-pek@k project, MFD staff had provided training to the representatives of the deaf NGOs. The deaf NGO representatives in turn, are able to provide training to their own members as required. D-schools (D-Sekolah). The establishment of D-schools is to ensure the deaf students are IT-educated  and prepare them for the computer age in their future. Thus they are able to participate in Malaysia’s envisioned knowledge society. In this project, e-pek@k installed the ICT hardware in schools for the deaf. Besides that, e-pek@k staff also provided training and education for the deaf teachers and students as well. However, in the first stages of e-pek@k project, six schools for the deaf were installed with ICT centres. The first step of e-pek@k project is to sell the idea to the school administrators, teachers, students and parents. e-pek@k staff does this by presenting  awareness-raising sessions and offering hands-on experience. Then, e-pek@k staff installs and supply the hardware mostly assisted by the most motivated school staff and students. Training of using different types of popular software applications are given to staff and students by the e-pek@k staff themselves and NGOs representatives. The e-pek@k staff also teaches and assists students to develop and maintain their own school website. For now, all six of the schools which are under the e-pek@k project already have their own websites, with contents full of helpful tutorials, public forums, news and events, etc. The  continuity and maintaining of IT centres later will be the schools' own responsibility. Achievement. As a result of e-pek@k project, many deaf students are now able to build and maintain their own website. With the assistance of ICT, the deaf are no longer invisible and limited by their handicap. Their voices are now able to be heard by the society. They now get access to all online services and receive moral support as much as they wanted. The beneficiaries of e-pek@k are now more confident and have more chances to show off their abilities. They can now prove  that they can be as good as everyone else. The teachers also have more faith in their abilities. Their overall results in school have improved. The traditional stigma of deaf students, of them being problematic students, always lagging in their studies even though they actually spend 8 years in primary school, can now be dispelled. Award. On 24 October 2001, e-pek@k has received a special award from the Malaysian chapter of the United Nations (PBB Malaysia) in recognition of their ground-breaking work in helping this special needs group to bridge the digital divide. – from DAGS Expandability. e-pek@k  project is now confined to the in Klang Valley. It will soon be able to expand nationally within the framework of the MFD. In order to expand globally, it will have to depend on the availability of a similar network of NGOs and services for the deaf in the international arena. Sustainability. e-pek@k is a non-profit organization; their sole financial support is from public donations to MFD. Hence, more funding is required to develop the project further. Similarly, there are no financial support for the maintenance and upgrade of hardware items that have been installed in D-schools . It will be dependent on the school community themselves and alone, if they agree to commit to this.