For Policy Makers: Community Groundwork

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Education & Rehabilitation Resources Outside the US

The community-based rehabilitation model supports inclusion of people with disabilities in all community activities: education, family life, employment, and social activities. The articles in this section provide a grounding in the philosophy and principles and CBR, and share advice for program implementation and administration.

Below are the topics you'll find in this section. Click on a title to jump to a specific topic.

Principles of Community Based Rehabilitation & Education
Program Implementation in the Community
Research

Principles of Community Based Rehabilitation & Education

Blindness, Poverty and Development, World Blind Union
An outline of the WBU’s comprehensive plan for the socio-economic integration of people with blindness, including a strategy for poverty reduction.

CBR: A Strategy for Rehabilitation, Equalization of Opportunities, Poverty Reduction and Social Inclusion of People with Disabilities: Joint Position Paper, World Health Organization (WHO)
An overview of the elements of community-based rehabilitation; in English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese.

Community-Based Rehabilitation, Africa Development Forum
This chapter from Sustainable Development and Persons with Disabilities: The Process of Self-Empowerment introduces community-based rehabilitation and assesses its possibilities and limitations.

Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR), World Health Organization (WHO)
This overview of community-based rehabilitation has links to related documents, including a matrix for designing a CBR strategy.

Community Based Rehabilitation and Prevention of Blindness in South West Uganda, Community Eye Health Journal
A discussion of community-based rehabilitation, a description of projects in Uganda, and recommendations that are applicable to projects in other locations. Also available in PDF.

Community-Based Rehabilitation and the Health Care Referral Services: A Guide for Programme Managers, World Health Organization (WHO)
This 98-page guide helps program managers assess the local situation and create policies and programs. (PDF not accessible to screen readers)

Community Based Rehabilitation Vellore Experience, WHO India
Describes the experience of a team of professionals, community volunteers, and people with disabilities in an urban area, including work in disability prevention and management.

Community Based Rehabilitation: An Introduction, Community Eye Health Journal
The necessity of understanding and integrating local culture into community-based rehabilitation programs. Available as PDF.

Community Based Rehabilitation: What is it? Disability World
An overview of community-based rehabilitation, including observations about implementing it in Africa.

Innovations in Developing Countries for People with Disabilities, Enabling Education Network
Addresses issues such as family involvement, mobilizing communities, fund-raising, and service evaluation.

What Is Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR)? Independent Living Institute
Understanding how disability affects people in villages, small towns, and cities, and the role of community-based rehabilitation in delivering services; in simplified language.

Program Implementation in the Community

Adecuaciones curriculares y Creacion de Servicios Para la Atencion de los Multidiscapacitados con Ceguera de Base en Chile, International Council for the Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI)
The English title is “Curricular Adaptations and Creation of Services for Multi-handicapped Blind Persons in Chile”; in Spanish.

Ambulatory Attention for Multihandicapped Children: Our Experience in Santiago, Chile, International Council for the Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI)
A program for children with visual impairments and additional disabilities shares its objectives, activities, methods, information on financial resources, and its impact on families; in English and Spanish.

Blindness, Poverty and Development, World Blind Union
This paper outlines the WBU’s comprehensive plan for the socio-economic integration of people with blindness, including a strategy for poverty reduction.

Community-Based Rehabilitation for the Visually Handicapped: A Second-Rate Solution or the Real Way to Independence? Inclusive Development Platform
Important standards to be met when preparing and implementing community-based rehabilitation; some of the realities of administration. Available as a Word document.

Community Based Rehabilitation in India: Who Contributes to CBR Programmes for the Visually Impaired? Community Eye Health Journal
Organizational recommendations based on the experience of Sight Savers International in India. Available as a PDF.

Education of Children with Multi-disabilities and Visual Impairment (MDVI), International Council for the Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI)
Some of the challenges, myths, and beliefs encountered in Kenya when addressing the needs of children with visual impairment and additional disabilities; suggestions for developing effective strategies.

Education of Persons with Visual Impairment: Global Aims and Strategies, Christoffel-Blindenmission (CBM)
This 20-page document provides an overview of the education of people with visual impairment in developing countries.

Empowerment of the Blind: A Handbook for Organizations of and for the Blind and Visually Impaired, World Blind Union
This 159-page handbook of organizational guidelines by W. Aubrey Webson “is designed for people in developing countries who work with organizations of and for the blind and visually impaired. … with an emphasis on the inclusion of blind people in all aspects of their organizations.”

Expanding Education and Employment Opportunity for Blind and Visually Impaired Persons through the Development of an Eastern European Network on Access Technology, International Council for the Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI)
How people with visual impairment and their trainers can use access technology to connect to information, education, and employment opportunities.

Finding Children who are Blind; Community Eye Health Journal
Implementing the key informant method for identifying children with blindness or visual impairment; includes suggestions for training and communication materials. Available as PDF.

The Impact of a Low Vision Programme on Existing Education Services for the Blind, in Malawi, International Council for the Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI)
Description of a low vision program in Malawi that was improved by training the professionals, parents, and the children.

A Majority within a Minority: Services for Visually Impaired Multi Disabled Children, International Council for the Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI)
Key elements of high quality services for multiply handicapped children, and shares examples from a range of service delivery models.

Manual: Community Based Rehabilitation (Visual Impairment), Blind People’s Association (India)
This 256-page manual presents a wide range of information on community-based rehabilitation, from theory to implementation. Appendices include sample forms and course curricula for training of field workers and master trainers.

Profissionais e Pais Companheiros no Processo de Habilitação e Reabilitação de Crianças Deficientes Visuais: uma experiência bem sucedida, International Council for the Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI)
Brazilian trainers share their expertise in “Professionals and Parents--Partners in Habilitation and Rehabilitation of Visually Impaired Children: A Successful Experience”; in Portuguese.

Providing Care for Children with Low Vision, Community Eye Health Journal
The importance of comprehensive education for children with low vision. Available as a PDF.

Residential Versus Integration: Where to Teach ADL, International Council for the Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI)
Polish teachers discuss the role of residential schools in teaching activities of daily living and other functional skills.

The Role of the Family and the School in the Rehabilitation of the Visually Impaired in Developing their Basic Daily Skills, International Council for the Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI)
A rehabilitation program in Brazil that fosters collaboration between the home and school to teach children daily living skills.

Service for Multi-Disabilities and Visual Impairment (MDVI) in Nepal, International Council for the Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI)
The main challenges of providing services for children with visual impairments and additional disabilities in Nepal.

National Resource and Training Centre for Children with Vision Impairments and Additional Disabilities, including Deafblindness, Voice and Vision (India)
General guidelines for developing programs for students with visual impairment and additional disabilities, including deafblindness. Includes background information, the range of service delivery options, Indian disability legislation, resources for teacher training, and sample forms.

Starting Village-Based Rehabilitation Activities, Hesperian Foundation
Scroll down to Chapter 45. This chapter from David Werner’s book, Disabled Village Children, describes two models of rehabilitation and offers suggestions to help community members organize themselves; in English and Spanish.