Fewer than ten per cent of children who are blind or have low vision receive any kind of formal schooling. © Georgina Cranston / Sightsavers

Learning and visual impairment

Fewer than ten per cent of children who are blind or have low vision receive any kind of formal schooling. This fuels a cycle of illiteracy and poverty, leaving people who are blind as one of the most vulnerable and excluded groups in the world.

An inclusive approach to education

Sightsavers supports the principle of inclusive education. This is where children who are blind and visually impaired are included in the mainstream education system.

Making inclusion work

Sightsavers works with children, teachers and parents, as well as governments, to make inclusion work.

This can involve:

• ensuring teachers are trained to deal with every child's needs
• providing children with special needs teachers
• helping to prepare children for school life
• supporting children to use special educational resources and learn Braille
• supporting parents of children who are blind or visually impaired
• campaigning for changes in the curriculum

We are also a member of the Global Campaign for Education which advocates for the right of every child everywhere to go to school.

Achievements

 

Our work with education

Last year we helped to:

• Support 6,315 visually impaired children to study in mainstream education
• Train 2,623 teachers in special education skills, so they can support children who are blind or have low vision