Expanding Educational Opportunities in Central and Eastern Europe

In Central and Eastern Europe, Perkins supports an extensive network of programs for children who are deafblind or blind with additional disabilities. We coordinate more than 25 projects related to early childhood education, primary and secondary education and transition services to adult life. Each year, these programs reach 1,850 children who would otherwise not have access to specialized educational services.  

Early Childhood Education

Dennis Lolli, Perkins Europe Regional Coordinator, shares a toy with an infant with low vision

Our partners' early childhood education programs identify children and create individual learning programs based on each child's ability. For example:

• The Turkan Sabanci School for the Visually Impaired in Istanbul, Turkey has a program that provides services to young children at school as well as at home 
  
• The Goreneller School for the Blind in Ankara, Turkey and the School for the Blind in Varna, Bulgaria provide early identification and assessment services to toddlers and young children 

Perkins also sponsors conferences across the region to encourage the exchange of ideas on early intervention.  Examples include:

• Coordinating national early intervention training programs in Poland for teachers and direct care providers for young children 
• Supporting representatives from partner agencies in Hungary and the Czech Republic to facilitate a seminar on Early Intervention at the European International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment Conference 

School Age Children

These early education programs lay the foundation for children to participate actively in programs at the primary and secondary levels. In Central and Eastern Europe, Perkins works with 20 schools that provide specialized educational services including:

• The Budapest Elementary School for the Blind in Hungary runs a program for more than 40 children who are deafblind or blind with additional impairments.
  
• In Bulgaria the Varna School for the Blind and Sofia School for the Blind each provide services to 90 students through the school and community outreach programs.
  
• In Estonia, the Helen Keller School for the Blind and the Support Union of the Deafblind provide services to more than 80 children throughout the country.

A deafblind student laughs while signing, Goreneller School for the Blind, Turkey

Perkins collaborates with regional partners on programs that prepare youth to live as independently as possible after school. For example:

• In Bulgaria, the School for the Blind in Sofia has programs to improve vocational and daily living skills in young adults.
• In Slovakia, Perkins works with the Association for Deafblind, a parent group, to provide youth with transitional services as they move into adult programs and community settings.  Recently, they opened a group home for young adults who are blind with additional impairments.  This home is a unique environment where youth can develop independent living skills.

Learn more about our other programs in Central and Eastern Europe