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  The implementation of the project "The Development and Spread of Art Therapy in Information Society" began last December. It was sponsored by the fund of European Community PHARE ACCESS.
  The lessons for blind and visually impaired children took place in the Studio of Plastic Portrayal where principles of art therapy were applied. The first stage of individual creativity and social adaptation diagnostics has been implemented. The new works of the children have been selected for the future CD "Ceramics Technologies for the Children".
  The members of the community have willingly joined computer literacy courses. Three courses for blind and visually impaired children, the members of the community "Akiu Sviesa" and the initiative group have taken place. The tutor of the courses has been the teacher of Computer Science Lina Vitkuviene.
  Blind and visually impaired schoolchildren of the age between 10 and 15 had an opportunity to familiarize with the special software program applied for visually disabled people, reading program JAWs and the main elements of a display and to test the quickness of fingers while learning the secrets of quick typing.
  The blind, visually impaired and normal sighted adult members of the community of the age between 26 and 45 and of various professions and pursuits acquired knowledge about a personal computer, studied how to work with files and folders, familiarized with text editing programs and acquired general information about World Wide Web. We have received several responses of the participants:
  The training including work with files and folders, Corel Draw graphic editing systems, OCR technologies and computer antivirus programs has been useful the initiative group of the organization.
  Lithuania is still far from being a perfect information society, where disabled people feel equal, where all citizens using modern information technologies are able to acquire education and job. Notwithstanding, first important steps forwards have been made. We think that the activity of blind and visually impaired people, their ability to open out in an unfamiliar but very interesting environment is crucial in this process.
  

Nijolė Majerienė