WHAT IS VISUAL DISABILITY?

The type of visual disability differs and so does the blindness range from the visual impairment to total blindness. Therefore, each child differs from the other in his/her visual, sensory and hearing ability. This requires each child to have his/her own evaluation. The teaching aids and exam methods depends on the basis of the individual evaluation of the child on the condition that the curriculum should not be different from his visually able peers.

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Center of Excellence

Center of Excellence: Baseera is preparing for the opening of the first low vision center in Egypt serving people suffering from low vision of different ages. The center  will be equipped with the latest technology. It is built based on international standards and its staff will be trained by experts from the Royal Dutch Visio in the Netherlands. The center will includes: Eye clinicRehabilitation room Snooze room Vision assessment room Visual technology room   Address: 10 Hassan Moussa El Akkad St., Heliopolis
Low Vision Center
Technology is essential in the learning process of people with visual impairment. The needs of people who are blind are different than those with low vision. People who are completely blind require equipment such as: computers, laptops, Braille reader software, screen reader programs and high tech canes for their orientation and mobility.People with low vision require computers, laptops, Closed-Circuit television (CCTV), along other supporting equipment.The main challenge we found in trying to utilize such technology in Egypt is that most of these equipment were made for English speaking visually impaired people, parents, teachers and caregivers. Future Goals ● Where possible, translating and adapting equipment to be suitable for Arabic speaking users. ● Developing new software and equipment suitable for Arabic speaking users for Egypt and other Arabic speaking countries.
Technology Support
We understand that for people with visual Impairment to actually be proactive and productive members of society we must work on providing special training for their surrounding communities. We have classified three main target groups for our training programs: parents, school teachers, and health professionals. We provide specific know-how and skills for each target group in dealing with people with visual Impairment.These training programs are important because of the lack of knowledge about the special needs of people with visual impairment and how they differ from other disabilities.Future GoalsAccredited Post-Graduate Visual Impairment program One of the main problems we have in Egypt is the lack of education programs that trains people to become specialists in the field of visual impairment. There are a few programs in Egypt which deal with all disabilities rather than being specialized in visual impairment. We aim to establish an accredited post-graduate program in visual impairment, which provides the proper knowledge and training to work with Visual impairment.​Students in this program should: •  Learn how to assess and evaluate learners with visual impairment and decide their learning capabilities and needs.  •  Be trained on how to teach orientation & mobility, communication skills, social skills, self-help for people with visual impairment.  •  Know all different types of technologies used by people with VI.Furthermore, In Egypt, there are no health professionals specialized in low vision who could assess and characterize the needs of people who have low vision. Internationally, once a person has been diagnosed as having low vision by a primary eye care provider, he or she should be referred for a clinical low vision evaluation, as part of the overall multidisciplinary rehabilitation services, to review what, if any, optical and non-optical devices would be beneficial. The role of the clinical low vision specialist is to maximize a person’s functional vision capabilities.  In-Classes, Courses will be established with collaboration between BASEERA, International Universities, and at least three universities in Egypt. Where the curriculum will be provided from an international university, taught at the university in Egypt, and the practical training to be conducted at BASEERA. The accreditation should be provided by both the International and Egyptian Universities.  ●Health professionals in this program should be trained on conducting a  personalized assessment of the living and social skills of people with visual impairment and deciding their needs and capabilities. ●  Learn the Medical, Educational, and Rehabilitative implications of visual impairment.  ● Learn about the psychological needs of people with visual impairments (while specialized psychiatrists work in providing this type of support educators must be able to determine when professional assistance is needed). Our initial idea for implementing this program is through: Online Courses - This will be provided through online interactive courses and lectures from a credited international university which will provide the accreditation and the practical training will be conducted at BASEERA.Low Vision Center● One of our main goals at BASEERA is creating a low vision center in Egypt through covering scholarships for health professionals to get proper training on low vision in international universities which provide this type of education and come back to establish with BASEERA the low vision center in Egypt. In order to achieve this we need to build partnerships with donors who are willing to fund such a vital project in the development of the lives of people with visual impairment in Egypt.● A Clinical low vision specialist should be specialized in low vision testing, diagnosis, and treatment and are trained to conduct low vision eye examinations and prescribe special low vision devices. The Low Vision Specialist uses special charts and materials for the assessment of distance and near visual acuity that are not routinely used in general eye examinations. It goes beyond the prescription of standard spectacles to provide optical, non-optical, and/or non-visual devices to help individuals meet their specific visual needs for distance, intermediate, and near activities. It includes the gathering of information about the individual’s functional use of vision by a clinical low vision specialist, even when optical devices may not be beneficial, to provide techniques for maximizing the functional use of vision. Parents In order to achieve our goal of inclusive education, teachers at regular schools are one of our main target groups. While inclusive education today is required by law, we realize that often school teachers resist welcoming children with visual impairment in their classrooms due to their lack of knowledge on how to assist these children rather than being discriminatory against them. Thus, we have created a special program for teachers which focuses on: The learning abilities of the VI children, it is important to stress that VI children are capable of learning but need different methods in learning. Engaging a VI child in the classroom, for example, through utilizing their sense of hearing, touch, and smell. Modifying teaching tools and methods. Keeping the children with VI aware of what is happening in the classroom. The importance of not giving them special attention than their peers, which hinders their sense of independency. Creating a welcoming environment for a child with VI among his peers. Problem solving, what to do in case other children tease/bully the child with VI. The importance of not isolating her/him but to support her/him in making friends. Health-Care Professionals One of the main problems we face in Egypt is that prime health-care does not include eye examination, a large percentage of a child's sight could be saved if s/he is tested at an early stage and surgical intervention is conducted. Our target groups in our training programs are public health units, school's health units, public health insurance offices. The training covers: The importance of conducting eye examinations and how to conduct it. Performing a proper assessment of a child's vision and reporting it. Providing them with manuals to assist people with low vision in seeking the right type of support. What to tell a person who is identified as low vision or blind. Providing comfort to a low vision or blind child and her/his parents.
Training Program
Inclusion is key to the successful education of students with visual impairment. According to The Centre for Studies in Inclusive Education, inclusive education means disabled and non-disabled young people learning together in ordinary school provision, with appropriate networks of support. They should have access to the same information, at the same time and, if possible, in the same way to participate in and enjoy mainstream settings to the best of their abilities, whatever their needs. Education goals for students with visual impairments are essentially the same as those for all students. The goals are: effective communication, social competence and personal independence. In order to accomplish these goals, however, students with visual impairments require specific interventions and modifications of their educational programs. An appropriate assessment of these unique educational needs in all areas related to the disability and adapting instruction to meet these needs is essential to ensure appropriate educational programming.At BASEERA, we support integrating students with visual impairment in mainstream education through our specialized team that works with them to ensure that they are on the same level as their peers and are receiving the necessary assistance.Our program consists of: Comprehensive education assessments of the students with visual impairment to identify their strengths and areas for improvement. Adapting curricula and method of teaching for the students with visual impairment, especially in subjects that usually require visual learning such as geography, science, and math, among others. Providing supporting material needed ( e.g. -raised maps, 3D shapes, etc. ). Forming an individualized education plan for each child. Providing equipment needed for each individual student according to their needs (e.g. Braille machine, low vision aid). Training children on the usage of specialized technologies. Individualized education support in all school subjects. Training People with visual impairment on the specialized skills needed to learn in alternative methods through utilizing the use of their other senses. Providing them with early career and vocational skills.
Education Program
In this program we work on helping the visually impaired achieve physical, social, and emotional independence and maintain quality of life. In (re)habilitation we either continue to work with children who have entered our Early Intervention Program. In this case the process of their development is more advanced than those who have come to us after the age of 3 years, when we have to start with basic skills that are supposed to be taught at an earlier age.  The skills taught include:• Orientation and mobility skills.• Self-help ( Independent dressing and grooming, hygiene and toileting and helping with daily chores like table setting and picking up toys ).• Social skills ( e.g how to interact within a community, how to properly present herself, himself, social manners ).• Technology and computer proficiency using computer equipment, such as a screen reader, to read information on monitors or in print.• Literacy reading and writing with Braille, large print, optical devices, or training in effective use of available vision.• The rights and responsibilities of people with visual impairment ( we make sure that our community of people with visual impairment understand their legal rights and responsibilities in the community and know how to ask for these rights ).• Recreation and leisure activities.• Being an active member of society (the problem we often face with people of visual impairment is that society is used to undermine their abilities and are quick to provide sometimes unnecessary help.•    We implement in our community of VIPs that they must be independent and proactive members of the society who should help others as well as receiving help when necessary.
Rehabilitation
For a child with visual impairment, touch, hearing, and in the case of low vision, the use of remaining or residual vision are critically important for learning and development of essential skills (physical, cognitive, social, pre-Braille and self-help).    Support by trained and knowledgeable professionals in the area of visual impairment is essential to help the child develop these senses to the best of his or her ability.At BASEERA early Intervention services are provided by specially trained early childhood blind/low vision specialists. The specialists work with the child and with the parents to teach them how to support their child’s development in the following areas:Intentional movement (orientation and mobility)Development of motor skills (e.g., rolling, reaching, crawling, walking, and use of hands to manipulate and explore objects)Daily living skills (e.g., eating, dressing, toileting)Concept development (e.g., object identification, function, and characteristics)Social and emotional developmentLanguage and communication developmentMaking the most of residual vision through stimulation in case of low visionUsing all the senses to promote development
Early Intervention
BASEERA holds a printing house which aims to convert normal books to Braille. We ensure that the pages of the books we print include Braille and on the other side normal text to assist those who support the children in their education whether the parent or the teacher. While many children who are blind use computers, having an excellent command of Braille is vital in their learning so they would  not solely depend on technologies and to be able to properly read and pronounce.Future Goals :•  Publishing - BASEERA has specialized staff in the field of visual impairment specifically related to Egypt. We aim to publish manuals on dealing with people with visual impairment that will target the parents of children with visual impairment, teachers, habitation and rehabilitation specialists, health professionals, and basic information for the general public in dealing with people with visual impairment.  
Printing House

Community PRograms

Throughout our work we have conducted diverse formal and informal trainings and provided consultancy to diverse government bodies, such as:providing consultancy to the Ministry of Social Solidarity on deciding the services that should be provided by the government's rehabilitation offices to VIPs and deciding the training they need to provide these services and conducting evaluations on the specific needs for people with visual impairment needs.Supporting the Ministry of Education through providing knowledge on how to implement inclusive education and the assistance needed for people with visual impairment in their education process and examinations. Providing training to public and private schools' employees on the needs of people with visual impairment and how to assist them (this is different than the special training program we provide to school teachers). One main target this year in our training program is informing government health professionals on the importance of habitation and rehabilitation services for people with low vision  and the services that should be provided for a child who is identified as blind or low vision, beside medical services. 

Consultancy

At BASEERA we realize the importance of research in developing the lives of people with visual impairment in Egypt.  One of our major goals is to be a resource center for people with visual impairment in Egypt and other Arab speaking countries. There are many opportunities for both quantitative and qualitative research to be conducted in Egypt. At BASEERA we support research that covers: Quantitative Research Through screening of schools and convoys: Early detection of visual impairment that could be prevented fully or partially The total number of people with visual impairment in Egypt with proper data classifying those who are blind and those who have low vision Collecting data of people with visual impairment in each governorate and where they reside Qualitative Research Status of people with visual impairment and the medical, education, social services provided to them in each governorate The problems facing children with visual impairment in being mainstreamed in regular education in each governorate The social perceptions of people with visual impairment in the Egyptian society. The quality of medical support people with visual impairment receive in each governorate (important especially for preventive blindness) The type of services provided by the government's rehabilitation centers around Egyptian governorates

Research

Through the health program we aim to early detect people who have vision problems, through school screening and medical convoys. People are then divided between two main groups. On one hand, when a remedy is possible we refer them to our partner hospitals and clinics where operations are conducted and proper medications provided for free. When eye-glasses are prescribed we provide them as well with no charge. On the other hand, if the person is identified as blind or low vision we refer her/him to the center of excellence where we provide our early intervention, (re) habilitation,  and  education services. From 2004 until today we have:• Screened 18,000 students in primary education• Conducted check-ups for 8818 patient • Provided 2001 prescription glasses

Health

Government Level In order to create an inclusive society for people with visual impairment, in which they have equal rights and opportunities as anyone else within the society we have built strong partnerships with major government bodies. One of our main assets is that Ms. Mabrouk is a member of the National Council for Disability Affairs in Egypt. Ms. Mabrouk advocates the special needs of people with visual impairment and the making of laws that realize the special needs of each disability rather than treating them all as equal. The three main partner ministries which we work with are: The ministry of education & ministry of health & population, ministry of social solidarity. We work with the vital government partners on: Policies We work with the ministries in order to create, amend, and implement policies relating to disabilities in general and to people with visual impairment specifically. Some of our work in influencing policies include: Universities In 2016 we were able to get the ministry of higher education to accept visually impaired in all universities Departments with no discrimination if they have the proper grades and requirements of entry. Before they only used to be accepted in some literature departments. Banks Visually impaired needed to have a guardian to open bank account. BASEERA took the initiative to advocate for the independence of the VIPs in managing their banking accounts. BASEERA coordinated with the banks union in Egypt to change this. As a result, There are 3 banks in Egypt (2 of them are the biggest in Egypt: El Ahly Bank and CIB) which accept VIPs to independently open and manage their accounts without a guardian. Education In promoting the full independence of VIPs, we succeeded in getting the Ministry of Education's approval on allowing the VIPs to take their exams on the computer rather than the traditional method which requires a delegated person to accompany the VIP students and write on their behalf. This year two visually impaired female students, who have been enrolled in our programs since they were infants, took the 6th grade government test on the computer. Which is considered a major step towards fully integrating VIPs in mainstream schools. And we will continue promoting this method until it becomes regularly applied in VIPs education. We have shown the possibilities of inclusive education for visually impaired by putting it into practice. This has been the key factor to success, a mind shift has taken place within the ministries and schools from talking about inclusion and being sceptical towards acting and seeing positive results. More schools accept students with a visual impairment. The ministry of education is eager to understand the practical implications of inclusive education, we coordinate with the ministry of education through providing them with guidance and advice. Moreover, the special need students were not admitted in Technical Education by Law, after lobbying by BASEERA low vision students are now accepted. Vital Local and International Partners In order to be able to provide the best services for the VI community and advocate for their rights we have vital local and international partners. We have created sustainable networks of other NGOs, which work for the rights of people with disabilities, one of our major networks is the "Network for changing Policies for Inclusive Education," from among our partners in this initiative are CARITAS( which works on enhancing the lives of people with mental disabilities), NEDA'(which works with people with hearing disability), and ADVANCE which works on developing Skills of Children with Special Needs). We also coordinate with international partners who work in developing the lives of people with visual impairment. BASEERA's staff every year attend international conferences and summits that address the needs of the people with visual impairment and discuss new methods, technologies, and tools to address these needs. We have strong connections with international organizations who provide us with important technical assistance and know-how such as VISIO, the centre of expertise for blind and partially sighted people of all ages, including those with additional disabilities; International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI), a global association of individuals and organizations that promotes equal access to appropriate education for all children and youth with visual impairment, and the Lighthouse Guild, which is a leading NGO and healthcare organization, with a long-standing heritage of addressing the needs of people who are blind or visually impaired. Awareness Campaigns In order to create an accepting society for people with visual impairment raising awareness is a major aspect. As part of our raising awareness mission our staff and programs' participants have appeared in a number of widely watched television programs such as Lamis El-Haddidi's program "Hona Al-Asema", Mohamed Sobhey's program "Mafesh Moshkela Khales," Sada Al-Balad Program "Nas men Baladna," among others. We have held a number of awareness sessions and distributed informative leaflets on people with visual impairment and their needs to government entities, schools, and the general public. As part of our strategic plan this year is to hold wide awareness campaigns in two ways, firstly, as a major component in our projects' that are implemented in Egypt's governorates and secondly, as a component by itself through holding awareness campaigns which are addressed to government workers, school employers, health professionals. Awareness campaigns that target the general public through having a presence in universities, schools, social clubs, public spaces such as malls, among others.

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Medication Provision

Baseera treated 4, 000 students with medications 2018/2019

Eyeglasses Provision

Baseera created 5, 715 eyeglasses in 2018/2019
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