At Vision Empower, we strongly believe in the Government of India’s NIPUN Bharat (National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy) mission, which aims to ensure that every child in India achieves foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN).
We are committed to supporting this vision by promoting not only foundational learning, but accessible foundational learning — where every child, including children with disabilities, has the opportunity to learn, understand and progress.
For Vision Empower, one question remains central:
How can the NIPUN Bharat framework translate into meaningful and accessible learning for children with visual and hearing impairments?
Making NIPUN Bharat Accessible for Every Learner
In this spirit, Vision Empower, in collaboration with the Department of Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD), Government of Odisha, brought together 80 teachers from schools for children with visual and hearing impairments for a two-day NIPUN Bharat capacity-building programme in Odisha.
Adapting Foundational Learning Through an Accessibility Lens
We recreated the training modules through an accessibility lens, identifying barriers and exploring how foundational literacy, numeracy, language learning, classroom practices and Teaching-Learning Materials can be adapted through tactile, auditory, experiential and inclusive approaches.
Our sincere thanks to Sri Sanyashi Behera, Deputy Secretary, SSEPD Department, Government of Odisha, and Shri Dilip Hial, District Social Security Officer, Khordha, for their presence during the event.
NIPUN Bharat represents a commitment to foundational learning for every child, and our role is to help ensure that this commitment is accessible to every learner.
What Teachers Said About the Training:
“Vision Empower’s experiential approach and use of tactile learning materials made STEM concepts simpler, more engaging and more effective for students with visual impairments.”
– Pushpanjali Das, Red Cross School for disability (VI), Saintala, Balangir
“The training strengthened my understanding of FLN and give me practical and creative strategies to develop TLMs and adapt language and numeracy activities for the classroom.”
– Deepak Kumar Majhi, School for The Blind, Sundargarh
“I particularly valued the discussion on making education more inclusive for children with visual impairments, especially making textbook images tactile and providing audio descriptions.”
– Tejaraj Seth, Bapujee Special School for the Bline, Bargarh
“I liked learning how teachers can adapt new methods and teach children with visual impairments through play”
– Suryakanta Mallick, School for the Blind, Koraput
Participant feedback reflected strong engagement with the programme. 97% of participants found the training interactive, 92% rated their understanding as Good or Very Good, and 88% felt the learning materials were sufficient. Teachers also expressed interest in more hands-on practice, disability-specific adaptations, accessible Teaching-Learning Materials and continued learning opportunities.