Education Program for the Visually Impaired Children

ABC has been running 7 hostels (1 for girls and 6 for boys since 1978 and 1991 located at Gazipur, Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Sirajgonj, Comilla, Brahmanbaria and Magura districts of Bangladesh. The seat capacity of each hostel is 10 but it has been increased into 24 in the Gazipur girl's hostel considering gender sensitivity and women empowerment aspect. ABC provides education support to the Visually Impaired children from class one to ten. Many government, private, public and convent schools in the mainstream after being convinced with the importance of integration have collaborated with ABC and have opened their doors for blind students. At the hostel, students have access to free boarding, lodging, medical and recreational   facilities, which ensures that the children carry out their studies in a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere.

Overall Goal Blind Students Educational Project:

To promote primary and higher secondary education of the Visually Impaired and Underprivileged Children.

Specific Objectives of the Project:

1. To enroll visually impaired children to the hostels making sure of qualitative teaching and learning of the students.
2. To support the poor blind students to get primary and secondary level education.
3. To increase the standard of teaching
4. To eradicate discrimination against disabled through inclusive education.
5. To remove the barrier of transportation and communication of the blind students.
6. To provide lodging facility to the poor blind students.
7. To help them to get proper education and let them mainstreamed with the education system.
8. Better nutritional and medicinal facilities will be provided for the blind  children.
9. Safe shelter to the children
10. Additional teaching
11. Avoiding the distractions of an indigent family and focusing more on education.

Hostel Facilities:

ABC supports all the children in the hostel free of cost. Each child receives support for school fees, food, accommodation, transportation, medical care, study materials, uniforms, bags and other livelihood expenses.

Facilities offered

• Separate hostel facilities for boys and girls, Nutritious food, Study material, uniform, books, bags and all other basic schooling requirements.
• Braille education and supplement of brailed and E books
• Counseling and mentoring services for overall healthy growth of students.
• Quality high school education with tuition facility
• Assistance and tutorial to the visually impaired and students who are poor in academic performance.
• Quality computer and English language training
• Extracurricular facilities like yoga, sports, arts and cultural programs
• Regular medical check-ups

Impact of the Program

• Improvement in academic performance of VI students.
• Reduced stigma related to disability among non-disable children.
• Improved communication skill
• Improved self-esteem and confidence
• An inclusive society which respects the rights of the visually impaired people.

Targeted Population

The project provides primary and high school educational, nutritious food with accommodation to 74 children with visual impairment.

Yearly Budget:

In words: Forty-Eight Lac Sixty-seven Thousand Eight Hundred) Only