Tomáš SokolovskýCentrum vizualizace a interaktivity vzdělávání

(Centre of visualisation and interactivity in education)Ostrava, Czech Republicsokolovsky@free-art.cz

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With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union.This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This product reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Education of blind and visually impaired children Education of blind and visually impaired children and pupils in the Czech republicand pupils in the Czech republic

According to degree of visually impairment we have the state elementary schools (3 -15 years): Nursery schools for blind and visually impaired; Elementary schools for blind; Elementary schools for children with the rest of seeing; Elementary schools for visually impaired.

There are activities in the Czech Republic connected with intergration of blind and visually impaired into ordinary elementary and grammar schools for children without any handicap.

After finishing obligatory school attendance (15+ years until 24 years) the students could continue to study:

Secondary vocational school for bookbinder, upholsterer, masseur; Grammar schools or Conservatory for visually impaired; University studies in law, pedagogy and philosophy.

In all Czech universities have been established the centres for asistence to students with specific educational needs (incl. blind and visually impaired).

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Adult education for bl ind and visually impaired Adult education for bl ind and visually impaired people in the Czech Republicpeople in the Czech Republic

Adult education for blind and/or visually impaired persons in the Czech Republic are realised

by non profit organisations.

There are two main organisations in the Czech Republic for persons 15+ years:◦ SONS, o.s. – mother (Czech Blind United)◦ TYFLOSERVIS, o.p.s. – daughter (Tyflos in classical Greek language means „blind“)

Both of these institutions offer support information and skills training for blind and visually

impaired persons who are looking for the ways for independent life.

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The main services provided by TYFLOSERVISThe main services provided by TYFLOSERVIS mobility and long cane training, how to walk with an escort, individual route training; daily living skills (cooking, clearing, care of clothing, personal hygiene, child care, simple

maintenance work, etc.); braille training (fading and writing skills, including plate-and-stylus); low vision training; personal signature training; counselling in designing environment adaptations and eliminating of architectural barriers with

respect to the needs of the visually – impaired; training in communication skills in general and for specific behavioral situations in particular (on

public transport, in shops etc.); training in tactile perception of relief Picture and in creating such relief representations; training in the use of several types of adaptive equipment and providing acquisition information (e.g.

CCTSs, optical aids, dls aids, Braille reading and writing equipment, mobility aids, etc.); comprehensive information on blindness matters and mediation of other services.

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Activit ies delet ing information barriers among Activit ies delet ing information barriers among blind and major societyblind and major society

Activities supported deleting communication barriers among blind and visually impaired and

major society without any handicap through elementary education in ordinary schools (pupils

10-18 years including teachers) via „Teaching for Diversity“ (DVD) and through presentation

of information for major society about Word of blind and visually impaired via employers

(„Diversity for Disabled“ DVD).

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Basic and employment rehabil i tat ionBasic and employment rehabil i tat ionRehabilitation of adults (15+ years) is divided into two phases:

Basic rehabilitation of blind and visually impaired (15+ years) is aiming the deflection from powerlessness. It is created by courses as:

space orientation; individual movement; self-attendance; in-own hand signature; reading and writing by Braille.

Employment rehabilitation of blind and visually impaired is aiming for employment preparation.

It´s created by courses as: telephone exchange operator; masseur; dispatcher; touch system; working with PC.

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Division of blind and visually impaired peopleDivision of blind and visually impaired peoplefor employment reasonsfor employment reasons

In context of blind and visually impaired employment we divide them according visual defect into three groups:

1st group lightly weak-eyed persons and persons with defect of binocular seeing. Suitable professions: gardener, florist, cleaner, baker, pieman, cook, administrative worker.

2nd group mediumly and heavily weak-eyed persons. Suitable professions: store man, computer programmer, audio designer, special pedagogue, tuner,

logistic worker.

3rd group practically blind persons. Suitable professions: librarian, meal and drink taster.

But there exists a number of professions suitable for blind and visually impaired persons as:Basket-maker, ceramist, bookbinder, worker in telemarketing, social worker, musicians, masseur, lawyer, interpreter, teacher, ICT specialist etc.

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Contact:

Tomáš Sokolovský sokolovsky@free-art.cz

Centrum vizualizace a interaktivity vzdělávání Centrum vizualizace a interaktivity vzdělávání Bohumínská 788/61, 710 00 Ostrava, the Czech RepublicBohumínská 788/61, 710 00 Ostrava, the Czech Republic

Ostrava, Czech Republic, 11/2013Ostrava, Czech Republic, 11/2013

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