Disabilities in International Settings

The articles in this section summarize issues of blindness, visual impairment, deafblindness, and multiple disabilities that include blindness. These conditions present particular challenges when they occur in rural areas or communities with few resources. Included is information about causes and impact upon learning and development.

Blindness & Visual Impairment

Blindness, Hesperian Foundation
Go to Chapter 30, Blindness. This chapter from David Werner’s book, Disabled Village Children, includes information about development, mobility, education, work, and social life , as well as vision, eye health, and prevention of blindness.

Causes of Blindness and Visual Impairment, World Health Organization (WHO)
Information on the primary causes of blindness and visual impairment; links to related information.

Cortical Visual Impairment: Strategies for Change. Development of Service Delivery Programmes in India, International Council for the Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI)
A poster with introductory information about Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI), including characteristic features, implications, educational interventions, and case studies.

Vision – Using it Better, Sense International (India)
A broad overview of vision, with information on assessment and strategies for intervention.

Deafblindness

Causes and Syndromes Leading to Deafblindness, Sense International (India)
Causes of deafblindness, their symptoms and progression.

Let’s Discover Deafblindness, Blind People’s Association (India)
An 8-page color booklet featuring seven children with deafblindness. Includes a chart of the American Sign Language alphabet, and an assessment checklist. (This pdf is not accessible to screen readers.)

Multiple Disabilities that Include Visual Impairment

Multiple Disabilities among Students with Visual Impairments, International Council for the Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI)
Malaysian educators discuss multiple disabilities and their educational implications.