17:48 | 08.10.14 | News | 2625

Newly equipped center to serve for children with visual impairments

On the eve of the World Sight Day a new Resource center, equipped with a brand-new Braille printers is launched in Yerevan, for the benefit of children with visual impairments, thanks to the joint efforts of the Orange Foundation, the French Armenian Development Foundation, and the Fund for Armenian Relief.

The brand-new Braille printers, acquired with the 4.5 MAMD donated by the Orange Foundation, will now enable the children to pursue their education with up to date training and educational materials, previously not accessible due to the lack of necessary equipment and resources.

The resource center is installed in the special school N14, hosting 89 children with different degrees of visual impairment, which is the only school in Armenia where education is organized with Braille writing.

 “With this initiative we are glad to complement the “1 selfie = 1pair of glasses” project we are implementing together with Armenian Eye Care Project, on the eve of the World Sight Day, which will continue till tomorrow, and gives opportunity to everyone to help a child get glasses for free by just taking a selfie and sending it to Orange”,- said Lilit Martirosyan, General Secretary of the Orange Foundation.

“The creation of this center is our modest contribution to reduce the social exclusion of persons with visual impairments and ensuring access to information because all human beings are equal in Dignity and Rights”,- said Mr. Alain Touhadian, President of the Board of Trustees of  French Armenian Development Foundation.

The newly opened center will serve as well for the specialists working with children having visual problems, Students of the Pedagogical University studying tiflo-pedagogy and the members of the Armenian Union of the Blind.

To be reminded that due to the cooperation of Orange Foundation and Armenian Eye Care Project launched in 2011, more than 66000 inhabitants of rural areas have benefitted from free of charge eye care services including more than 5000 surgeries and laser treatments.