All India Confederation of the Blind (AICB)

All India Confederation of the Blind (AICB) is a body of blind persons working for and with the blind community. It is made up of various state level associations/organizations, starting from the grass root level. It has 24 affiliates across the country, over 100 staff members, budget of over 25 million rupees, and over 20 projects and services. The activities on AICB include:

• AICB Capt Chandanlal Special School

This model school provides a program of multifaceted educational activities.

For details check Schools for the Blind in India page.

• Community Based Rehabilitation

CBR is intended to facilitate maximum inclusion and participation of our clients within the rural communities. Under this identified blind and low vision persons are imparted training in self-help skills and are provided training in vocational skills most appropriate to their specific family situations.

For details check Support Groups and Services for the Blind in India page.

• Braille Press

Set up in 1997 with assistance from the Norwegian Association of the Blind and Partially Sighted (NABP), also assisted by the Swiss Umbrella Association of the Blind (SNAB) the Press today is the largest Braille printing house in the country with many notable accomplishments to its credit. It has received Best National Braille Printing Press Award twice (2009 & 2012) from the Union Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.

For details check Braille Production Centers in India page.

• Women Empowerment

AICB continuously endeavors to provide women opportunities for adequate participation in all of its on-going educational, training and rehabilitation activities. Besides, the Confederation conducts the following special programs exclusively for the benefit of visually impaired women:

• Merit Scholarships

• Intensive Training Course For Visually Impaired Women

• Award of Computers

• Women Magazines

• DVBS Supported Hostel for Blind girl-Students/trainees

For details check Support Groups and Services for the Blind in India page.

• Advocacy

Creating a just and equitable society by combatting all forms of discrimination against the visually impaired and helping them obtain their rights, is at the core of AICB's advocacy initiatives.

For details check Advocacy and Awareness for the Blind in India page.

• Computer Training

To enable visually impaired youngsters to keep pace with rapid changes in technologies and job-market requirements, AICB provides training in the use of computers. Speech synthesizers and special software which convert text to speech are used for the above mentioned purpose.

For details check Training and Vocation for the Blind in India page.

• Stenography

In early eighties, we started training in Braille shorthand and typewriting, in both Hindi and English. This has helped in creating a totally new employment possibility for persons with visual impairment. Over 350 blind men and women have been placed in Govt. departments, nationalized banks and public sector undertakings.

For details check Training and Vocation for the Blind in India page.

• Mobility & Orientation

Restriction in the ability to move around is viewed as a major limitation of visual disability. AICB strives to help its clients overcome this limiting condition as well.

For details check Training and Vocation for the Blind in India page.

• Crisis Management

AICB supports persons losing sight later in life either during young adulthood or during employment through counselling and skilling.

For details check Support Groups and Services for the Blind in India page.

• Employment

AICB is committed to the principle that training in itself is not enough and must result in placement in remunerative work-opportunities. Thus, the major focus of our placement services is to secure meaningful jobs for our trainees, commensurate with their qualifications and at par with their sighted counterparts in respect of salaries and work conditions.

For details check Employment for the Blind in India page.

• Resources

AICB provide a lof of resources for the blind, including:

• Audiobooks

• Audio Magazine

• Braille Books

For details check Learning Resources for the Blind in India page.

Blind Organization of India

Blind Organization is an organization that is working for over 16 years for the individual and also for the family of blind people and also fights for the rights and needs of the peoples who are visually impaired or blind. To work for the welfare of blind and rehabilitate the lives of the blind peoples irrespective of the nationality, religion or socio-economic status. To Eradicate curable blindness. To fulfill the basic needs of the individual and family of blind people. Socio-economic rehabilitation of the visually challenged in mainstream, through education, training and employment

Blind People's Association

Activities

• Blind Women Association: Help women with visual impairment by providing scholarship, education and self-employment

• Distance Education Department: Offering Educational Planning & Management, Curriculum Designing & research (Course code: MMD-013), Teaching of Science (Course code: MMDE-017) of RCI

• KAUSHALYA VARDHAN KENDRA (Skill Enhancement Center): Trades in Repair and Maintenance of Cellular Phone and Craft and Design trained at KVK, VASTRAPUR

• Talking ATM Project with XRCVC, https://talkingatmindia.org/

Publications

• The World of the Defenseless by Einar A Helander, Blind People’s Association, 2007

• Community Based Rehabilitation by Bhushan Punani, Nandini Rawal, and Jasmine S. Sajit , Blind People’s Association, 2002

• Visual Impairment Handbook - 2nd Edition by Bhushan Punani and Nandini Rawal, Blind People’s Association, 2000