Vision-Aid – A non-profit organization promoting vision rehabilitation services in under-served areas of India

Image of a young boy using a low vision aid

Vision-Aid
Serving the visually disadvantaged in Under-Served Areas

News

Dec 2011: In December, VisionAid Vizag, with support from Rotary Club of Waltair, partnered with St Mary’s college in
Visakhapatnam, to launch a “Train the Trainer” program. St. Mary’s college students, will now, as part of their Bachelor of
Education (BEd) college training, receive ACA training, which will help them understand how to serve the education needs
of visually impaired students. The first classes will begin in early 2012, will run for 2 months and train 80 BEds in Access
Technology Teaching for visually impaired children.

Sep. 2011: Vision-Aid India Low Vision Resource Center Launched

Did you know...

Over 40 million people in the world are blind, and over 120 million people have significant Low Vision conditions
that cannot be corrected, cured or treated by conventional refraction, medicine or surgery. This number is
expected to double by the year 2020. (World Health Organization, 2004).
Over 90% of these visually impaired people live in developing countries like India.
Less than 15% of these visually impaired people in developing countries like India have access to vision
enhancement or vision rehabilitation services that could help to change their lives.
There are over 1.4 million visually impaired children age 0-14 years
The vast majority of visually impaired children with low vision conditions in developing countries like India are sent
to blind schools despite having usable vision because they don't have access to or cannot afford vision
enhancement or vision rehabilitat ion services that could help them to integrate them into regular schools.
A visually impaired adult or child can be trained, with the help of Vision Enhancement, V ision R ehabilitation and
Assistive Technology and low vision aids to perform most daily tasks more confidently at home, in school, in the
playground, in the kitchen and at the work place, in a safe and independent manner, if only they were aware and
could easily access and afford such services

Isn't it time someone did something about this?...Isn't it time you did something ? You can..

Vehicle Donation

Children from parvatipuram at the Vision-Aid Center

Our Mission

Our mission is to help people who suffer from Vision related disabilities in under-served areas, lead a life of
independence and dignity. Read More..

Our Vision

Our vision is to facilitate the creation of a network of vision rehabilitation centers in under-served areas of developing
countries, that will operate on a non-profitable and charitable basis. Read More..

Manjula, a Vision-Aid student using a PC

The people we are serving..

Jami , age 10, was referred to the children's section of the Vizag Center in Visakhapatnam, India , with a significant loss
of central vision and Nystagmus. Read m ore about how our vision rehabilitation and enhancement projects are helping
Jami and other visually impaired children and adults in India.

a visually impaired child being trained to use spotting telescopic distant viewing aid to see the blackboard

What the experts are saying..

"I am overwhelmed with the achievements of your organization in such a short time"
Dr.Sarfaraz A Khan, MD
Director, Vision Rehab ilitation L.V.Prasad Eye Inst, Hyderabad, India .
(A World Health organization Collaborating Center of Excellence)
(Note : Dr. Khan visited the Vizag Center in Visakhapatnam, India, a project supported by Vision-Aid, in Aug, 2004).

"We are, now, in a position to state with considerable pride and confidence that in VisionAid we have found a credible
and efficient partner, a real well wisher of persons with visual impairment whom we are all committed to serve"
Mr.A.K.Mittal,
Regional Director,
National Inst. for the Visually Handicapped (India)
(Note : This message was sent by Mr. Mittal at the conclusion of a week long free special education training program
offered to 46 school teachers in Visakhapatnam (Vizag), India organized by the Visakhapatnam (Vizag Center ) with
support by VisionAid and NIVH in Nov 2004, to facilitate integration of visually impaired children in schools).

"I am humbled by the dedication and commitment of the Low Vision services you offer to the visually handicapped"
Dr. Sriram Sonty MD
Clinical Associate Professor of Ophthalmology,
University of Illinois @ Chicago Eye Center, Chicago
(Note : Dr.S.Sonty visited the Vizag Center in Visakhapatnam, India, a project supported by Vision-Aid, in Jan 2005)

See more t estimonials and media reports about the projects Vision-aid is supporting in India.

Person with low vision training on how ot use a CCTV to read