Welcome to Kenya Institute for the Blind   Click to listen highlighted text! Welcome to Kenya Institute for the Blind

Training Rehabilitation And Placement

The Department is mandated to train(rehabilitate) newly blinded learners who drop out from regular learning institutions because of loss of sight, and/or those who are referred from hospitals and other places related to education, for educational rehabilitation.

The Department consists of three sections namely:

  • Class(tuition) – for teaching Braille reading and writing skills, abacus and Orientation and Mobility
  • Computer Laboratory – for teaching Adapted Information Communication Technology
  • Guidance and Counseling – for helping the students cope and come out of their problems

The Department, through the Principal, recommends for further treatment, incases of learners who need treatment, and also refers learners to relevant institutions to continue with their education, after their rehabilitation.

The following are some of the activities carried out in the Department

Braille class in session (Students in class with braillers and teachers instructing them)
Training a student transcriber in Orientation and Mobility skills (A sighted student being instructed on Orientation and Mobility) should be rotated for re-alignment
An Adapted ICT class in session (Teachers instructing students)
A student being introduced on how to use a brailler (A teacher with a new student)
A student who is Visually Impaired being introduced to computer keyboard. (A student who is Visually Impaired being introduced to a computer keyboard)
A student who is Visually Impaired being trained on Orientation and Mobility skills (An Instructor imparting Orientation and Mobility skills to a student who is Visually Impaired)

Entry requirements

Kenya Institute for the Blind is a government institution mandated to provide educational rehabilitation for newly blinded learners, train transcribers and in-service teachers who are teaching in institutions with learners who have a visual impairment.

The following is the criteria for selection of students in every category:

a. Newly blinded learners

– be school-going, or intend to further studies
– have medical record pertaining to loss of sight from a high hospital
– be able to meet the cost of training and accommodation

b. Transcribers

– must have KCSE D+ and above
– must be able to communicate well in English and Kiswahili
– working with persons who are visually impaired will be an added advantage

c. Teachers In-service course

– must be a trained teacher
– teaching in an institution with learners who are visually impaired would be an added advantage

d. Training schedule

Teachers and transcribers must be ready to attend classes for three weeks every school holiday for four sessions.

The rationale for in-service training for Braille teachers and transcribers

A recent regional forum for Braille production and management held at KIB from 23rd to 24th April 2014 established that Braille use in our institutions is not standard as various schools use different Braille codes compared to the codes used in Braille books and KNEC exams. Teachers and transcribers working with Learners With Visual Impairment are invited to take up the KIB refresher course in order to improve their Braille competence and other communication skills to effectively support learners with visual impairment.

Newly blinded persons can also enroll for educational rehabilitation at any time of the year as the need arises.

A student application form to be embedded – to be processed online

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