About

Image of a child exploring a tactile wall at ARC. Links to a video about ARC

ARC : Vision & Philosophy

The long-term vision of VE interventions is to ensure that every child with visual impairment in India has access to STEM educational experiences on par with their sighted peers.

Rooted in research and collaboration, the ARC is dedicated to addressing the core challenges faced by visually impaired learners

  • Creation and availability of accessible content
  • Equipping and training educators with the knowledge and skills to effectively teach learners with visual impairments
  • Creation and provision of infrastructure and technology aids for the visually impaired along with hands-on experiences
By leveraging systematic needs assessments, stakeholder engagement, and innovative interventions, the ARC bridges educational gaps, champions experiential learning, and supports inclusive education to create a transformative impact for students and educators alike.

Since 2018, VE programs have been designed specifically to address these challenges, as is demonstrated in the Engagement model. The annual reports of Vision Empower (2023-24, 2022-23, 2021-22, 2020-21, 2019-20) contain detailed information on the activities designed to address these needs.

Emerging Needs

Through the design and implementation of a technology-enabled inclusive education model, VE has gained insights and experience in STEM subjects, for children with visual impairment and their teachers in special schools across India. This valuable experience has led to the identification of emerging needs and opportunities to further scale the existing programs systematically, aligning with our long-term vision.

School Clusters

School Clusters

Establish clusters of schools to address common challenges in replicating pedagogic activities due to the scarcity of teachers and support staff in each school

Qualified Staff

Qualified Staff

Deploy qualified staff to provide high-quality pedagogic services on inclusive education to schools within the cluster.

Resource Centres

Resource Centres

Create resource centres equipped with necessary technological and educational resources to be shared by the schools within the cluster.

Experiential Hands-On Sessions

Experiential Hands-On Sessions

Conduct Pragya teacher training sessions on STEM, Digital Literacy, and other technologies, along with Anubhav experiential sessions for students across the cluster at the resource centres.

Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)

Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)

Engage with families or caregivers of preschool-age children in each cluster, supporting them with the VE Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) compendium of activities.

VE Engagement Model

engagement model of Vision Empower
This is the engagement model of Vision Empower that has evolved from the experiences in resource provision and program interventions.

Scope of Activities

Photo of a session with students and teachers in ARC

From the engagement model, the idea of the “Shared Resource Centres” has given rise to the design and development of Accessible Resource Centres (ARCs) by Vision Empower. These centres will cater to the special educational needs of students with visual impairments in Grades K-10, with a particular emphasis on STEM education. Foundational skills for children with visual impairments in the pre-school age will also be a focal point. VE will implement a Technology-Enabled Inclusive Education and Capacity Building of Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments in Telangana. The project aims to deploy various educational aids and assistive technologies, with research-based interventions for teachers and students.

Interventions

The following interventions will be designed within the scope of the activities at the ARC:

  1. Design of Programs using Educational Aids at the ARC:
    • STEM and Computational Thinking Kits
    • Technology Aids - Tactograph, TakeNote, Hexis Braille Reader, URead, Hexis, Iris, Annie, Desktops, NVDA, JAWS, TypeAbility, Magnification Software/Devices, Mobile Phone, Daisy Player
  2. Distribution of Books
    • In different formats – Braille, Audio and ePubs
  3. Demonstration and Training on Technology Solutions:
    • In-house solutions such as Subodha LMS and technologies from other partners for
    • teachers and students.
  4. Conduct Special Learning Events/Competitions:
    • Braille Day, Science Day, International Day for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, etc.
  5. Pragya Teacher Training Support:
    • Online/Offline support for schools under the ARC
  1. Anubhav Student Engagement Support:
    • Hybrid/Offline support for schools under the ARC
  2. Live Dashboard on Usage Statistics:
    • KPI tracking related to Reach, Inventory of Educational Aids, VE Interventions related to STEM and CT for students and teachers.
  3. Reading Circles using Hexis – Refreshable Braille Readers
  4. Diagram Comprehension Sessions:
    • Introducing Tactile Diagram Comprehension to children with visual impairments
    • RLF Diagrams and Volunteer-made tactile diagrams, with Iris labelling solution from Vembi Technologies.
  5. Special Awareness Generation Events:
    • Invited talks, STEM/CT Camps for teachers and students (both sighted and visually impaired), Parent/Caregiver workshops for caregivers of children with visual impairment.
    • Introduce a structured learning curriculum and residential program on inclusive education for children with visual impairment especially in STEM and CT for student teachers from B Ed colleges across the state.
Bosch Global Software (BGSW) IIITB - International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore Vision Empower

A CSR initiative by Bosch Global Software (BGSW)
Implemented by Vision Empower and Center for Accessibility in the Global South (CAGS) at IIITB