The National Association for the Blind: a light in the dark for blind children

UNTIL she was 12 years old, Veena had never set foot inside a school classroom. From a small village in Odisha, Veena was born with a condition that causes blindness in both eyes. The young girl was confined to the four walls of her home with no hope and no future until The National Association for the Blind offered her the chance to go to school for the first time in her life and get an education. When she was around 12 years old, she started school straight at class 6, studied Commerce in high school, got a BCom degree and wanted to study an MBA. But she faced a challenge.

But there were not many opportunities for students with disabilities at that time. “Veena, you can study some other degree”, she was told. But she didn’t want to study another degree. Pursuing a Master of Business Administration was her dream. So with the help of The National Association for the Blind, Veena filed a case with the Chief Commissioner in Delhi. After her complaint was filed, the All India Council of Technical Education set aside three percent of all Management and Engineering courses for students with disabilities. In a couple of years, Veena graduated with an MBA and she now works for The National Association for the Blind, helping other visually-impaired children just as the organization helped her.

Support The National Association for the Blind

Veena Mehta Verma is an inspiration to visually-impaired children across the country. Her story of resilience and not taking “no” for an answer has empowered her to, in turn, help other children through the organization.

How The National Association for the Blind helps

Veena’s story is an inspiring case of an incredible organization helping children and adults with visual impairments and enabling them to live self-sufficient and fulfilling lives without lacking anything. The National Association for the Blind cares for children with visual impairments and provides education, resources and hostel facilities for 180 children with visual impairments. These children who are aged between 3 to twenty are either orphaned, abandoned or from poor backgrounds. In some cases, the children have been abandoned by their families with no information available about them. But these children remain at The National Association for the Blind and are raised in an environment of love, care and empowerment. 

Who are the children?

The National Association for the Blind supports 180 children who are between the ages of 3 to 20 and also include some young adults. These children and young people are mostly from places such as Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand or Chattisgarh. They are either orphans or have been abandoned by their families because of their blindness. The remaining children come from families who are from underprivileged or marginalized backgrounds and live below the poverty line. As such, they are unable to offer them the support needed to access education, healthcare, therapies and rehabilitation that The National Association for the Blind is equipped to provide. 

Education empowerment 

For the students at The National Association for the Blind, the organization has constructed inclusive classrooms that use materials that aid blind students and incorporates newer technologies such as screen reading software, magnification tools and other devices that will help students access learning material. For young students with visual impairments, the organization has developed early intervention programs, multisensory learning, play-based learning and other programs to introduce children to learning using tried-and-tested learning methods that are suited to learners with visual impairments. These programs aim to integrate students into mainstream education and include the families as much as possible to ensure that their learning is all-rounded and effective. 

Braille resources

The National Association for the Blind translates books and other resources into Braille to enable visually impaired students to get an education and miss out on learning opportunities. For the children, the NGO provides textbooks, novels, fiction, non-fiction, poetry and educational materials in Braille. The organization also makes large print books available to children who are sighted but struggle to see and read clearly. For other children, elements such as font size and formatting are personalized so allow each individual child to read and learn according to their ability and comfort. The organization understands the importance of education in the life of a child. In making all manner of books and resources available to visually-impaired children, The National Association for the Blind ensures that children with visual disabilities are empowered with access to the educational resources to achieve their dreams. 

Hostel facilities

The National Association for the Blind’s hostel for the 180 blind children provides a supportive environment for children to develop confidence in their abilities and head into the future equipped and prepared. The hostel facilities offer safe accommodation for the girls and boys, regular and nutritious meals, an education-focused space, life skills training and recreational activities including music, dance, chess, martial arts, cricket, yoga and others. The National Association for the Blind aims to create a space that is seen more as a home that nurtures holistic growth and not a place that provides accommodation to students. 

Veena Mehta Verma’s role at The National Association for the Blind

Earlier, we read about Veena as a vulnerable but brave young woman who fought for her right to an education. Now as the Director of The National Association for the Blind in Delhi, Veena Mehta Verma serves as a role model and example to the other students that there are no limits to their dreams and goals if they are focused and receive the support needed. Veena shares that she has picked up children from the roadsides herself and asks “what would I have done, had I not been cared for?” Likewise, she is doing all that she can to help others like herself receive the holistic support needed to succeed in life. 

Support The National Association for the Blind

The National Association for the Blind has been serving the needs of blind children for the past 45 years and is still as resolute in its mission as it was when it first started. Your support can help The National Association for the Blind not just support but empower and transform children trying to live with blindness. To support The National Association for the Blind: 

Support The National Association for the Blind

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