Building Local Expertise in Africa

In Africa and the Caribbean, Perkins School for the Blind offers technical training in the education of children who are deafblind or blind with additional disabilities to dozens of schools and organizations. More than 70 teachers from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania have been trained locally. Examples of recent training activities include:

• Coordinating senior-level training programs in Kenya and South Africa for government and school administrators. 
• Conducting staff trainings on child education programs in Malawi, Ghana, East Africa, South Africa, and St. Lucia. 

Perkins also sponsors African and Caribbean nationals to participate in Perkins' Educational Leadership Program. Participants have hailed from Antigua, Aruba, Belize, Cuba, Ghana, Haiti, Kenya, Jamaica, Nigeria, St. Lucia, South Africa, Tanzania, Trinidad, and Uganda. 

Developing University Training Programs

Perkins aims to increase the availability of university programs in Africa that offer training opportunities in the field of education for children who are deafblind or multiply-disabled. Perkins is working with the Kenya Ministry of Education to implement a training program for teachers of children who are deafblind at the Kenya Institute for Special Education (KISE). Perkins is providing assistance with curriculum development, faculty training, and preparation of practicum and mentorship sites throughout the country. We are currently collaborating with the faculty to create the first government-recognized teacher certification program for teachers of deafblind children in Africa. This certification program will train 10-20 teachers annually from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. 

Learn more about our other programs in Africa