There may be up to 40,000 blind children in the Philippines who are not able to go to school. The only thing keeping them out of school is the lack of a teacher trained in how to include the blind child in the regular classroom. By providing this training for teachers, we can dramatically and immediately improve the lives and futures of thousands of blind children.

Beginning in 1992, we have helped to organize summer graduate level training courses for teachers. These one month courses give the teachers the skills and special teaching techniques needed to mainstream blind students in the regular classroom with sighted students.

Over one hundred teachers undergo this training each summer at universities in Manila, Cebu, and Davao. After the training is completed they return to their local schools and begin enrolling blind children. In the last few years, over 1500 blind students have been able to enroll in school as a result of this training. Our experience has shown that once blind children are allowed to enroll in school, and once they discover that they can learn, achieve, and even excel, their entire perspective on life changes for the better.

	Jennifer and Genalyn: Where are they now? Ten years ago, Jennifer Rossel and Genalyn Alejo never even dared to dream that one day they might be able to go to school. Because they were blind, they were both left at house everyday while their brothers and sisters went off to school. That all changed in 1992 when Resources for the Blind provided training for a teacher in a nearby public school. Jennifer and Genalyn joined five other blind students that year and enrolled with the sighted students of Bagong Silang Elementary School. For the last ten years, we have worked closely with their teacher providing braille books and special equipment to make their schooling successful. Both girls have done well in school, with Jennifer winning a number of academic awards. This year Jennifer was the first blind student to graduate from Bagong Silang High School (Genalyn missed one year when the family moved, and worked part time as a radio voice talent.) During their high school years we set up a computer center for the blind students in their school. Both girls are now interested in pursuing further education in computers. Jennifer has received a scholarship from a computer college and is now enrolled as a full time student. They both indeed have very bright futures. We would like to express a very big thank you to all those who have helped to change the course of these two girls' lives.

Blind Children In Regular School