How a blind-welfare NGO can add coding to its programme

A blind-welfare NGO can add coding by running ProGame Tactile from Next Skills 360, an audio-first app that its facilitators deliver after train-the-trainer workshops. Because it also covers social-emotional skills, financial literacy and career guidance, it fits beside the life-skills and vocational work an NGO already does, and it works offline on any Android device. ## Start from what your programme already does Coding works well in an NGO when it strengthens what the programme already offers rather than sitting beside it as a separate course. Before choosing anything, write down who your learners are, what ages and school classes they are in, which devices and screen readers they already use, and who would run the sessions each week. Then decide what coding should lead to. For younger students it builds problem-solving and confidence with technology. For older learners it can be an early step towards technology work, which links it to your vocational and career-guidance work. ## Steps to add coding - Pick the learners: start with one group whose age and screen-reader skills are similar. - Check the devices: confirm the tool runs on the phones or computers your centre has, with or without internet. - Train the facilitators: your staff need training and ongoing help, not just a login. - Follow a sequence: choose content that moves from simple ideas to harder ones over months, so learners keep progressing. - Measure progress: record where learners start and where they finish, so you can report results to funders. - Connect to careers: link coding to the guidance and vocational support you already give. ## Working with government services Government services complement an NGO's coding work. The National Career Service Centres for Differently Abled assess the abilities of persons with disabilities, help them plan careers and find suitable jobs, and provide non-formal vocational training. The National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (NIEPVD) in Dehradun works on the rehabilitation, education and training of people with visual disabilities. For school-age children, Samagra Shiksha has a dedicated inclusive-education component for children with special needs, from pre-primary to Class XII. ## How ProGame Tactile supports an NGO [ProGame Tactile](https://www.nextskills360.in/progame-tactile) is delivered as a structured 3-year programme, not a licence drop: Year 1 covers coding Level 1 and social-emotional skills, Year 2 coding Level 2 and foundational AI, and Year 3 coding Level 3, financial literacy and career guidance, with six months of structured learning each year. It is designed for students with visual impairments in Classes 5 and above. Every programme includes student licences, train-the-trainer workshops, a teacher LMS, an analytics dashboard, native-language audio tutorials, Android smartphones placed in schools for shared access, career-guidance sessions with role models who are blind, a closing coding hackathon, baseline and endline assessments, and weekly teacher engagement. The app also stores documents for a student's lifetime: a teacher can upload material for any subject, and it stays navigable by screen reader, replacing WhatsApp threads where files are hard to find. It teaches in Telugu, Hindi, English, Marathi, Kannada and Tamil. ## Working alongside other organisations Next Skills 360 works with partners rather than in place of them. It runs one programme with Samarthanam that serves three groups together: sighted students from low-income families, students with visual impairments, and students with speech and hearing impairments. Next Skills 360 has impacted 500+ students with disabilities since 2020 through its inclusive skilling programmes, and ProGame Tactile has trained 500+ students with visual impairments to date. ## At a glance: what to check | Criterion | What to check | ProGame Tactile | |---|---|---| | Facilitator training | Are staff trained and supported? | Train-the-trainer workshops, a teacher LMS and weekly teacher engagement | | Devices | Does it fit the devices you have? | Works offline on any Android device; smartphones placed for shared access | | Fit with life skills | Does it cover more than coding? | Coding, AI literacy, social-emotional skills, financial literacy and career guidance | | Structure | Is there a sequence over time? | A 3-year programme with six months of structured learning each year | | Study material | Can learners keep their files? | Documents stored for a student's lifetime, navigable by screen reader | | Language | Can learners study in their home language? | Telugu, Hindi, English, Marathi, Kannada and Tamil | | Measuring results | Can you report progress to funders? | Baseline and endline assessments and an analytics dashboard | | Trying it first | Is there a demo or pilot? | A free demo, then a paid pilot; priced by quote | ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How are NGO facilitators trained to run ProGame Tactile? Every ProGame Tactile programme from Next Skills 360 includes train-the-trainer workshops, a teacher LMS and weekly teacher engagement, so facilitators are supported through the year. A real-time analytics dashboard shows how students are progressing, and baseline and endline assessments record what they have learned over the programme. ### Can ProGame Tactile fit into a vocational and life-skills curriculum? Yes, ProGame Tactile from Next Skills 360 covers five domains in one journey: computational thinking and coding, AI literacy, social-emotional skills, financial literacy and career guidance. Its programme also includes career-guidance sessions with role models who are blind, so it can sit beside an NGO's existing life-skills and vocational work. ### Does an NGO need computers to run ProGame Tactile? No, ProGame Tactile from Next Skills 360 works offline on any Android device, so a centre does not need a computer lab or steady internet. Every programme includes Android smartphones placed in schools for shared access, and the app is available on Google Play for learners who have their own phones. ### What happens when the ProGame Tactile licence year ends? ProGame Tactile licences from Next Skills 360 are valid for one year, and students continue learning independently afterwards. The app also stores documents for a student's lifetime, so study material a teacher or student uploads stays available and navigable by screen reader after the programme year is over. ## Book a free demo See ProGame Tactile working with your own learners and facilitators. An organisation starts with [Next Skills 360](https://www.nextskills360.in/about-us) through a [free demo](https://www.nextskills360.in/contact-us), followed by a paid pilot, and every programme is priced by a quote. Message Next Skills 360 on WhatsApp at +91 79955 60306 to book the demo.

See ProGame Tactile working with your own learners and facilitators. An organisation starts with Next Skills 360 through a free demo, followed by a paid pilot, and every programme is priced by a quote. Message Next Skills 360 on WhatsApp at +91 79955 60306 to book the demo.