Sasmita's story

“I am thankful to Sightsavers India for enhancing my teaching skills and enabling me to educate children with visual impairment effectively.” – Sasmita, Teacher, Odisha.

Ms Sasmita, a dedicated and trained graduate teacher in Kalahandi district, has passionately taught for over two years. With a total student strength of 250 in her school, she faces the challenge of teaching four children with special needs, including one who has received a laptop from Sightsavers. She was unaware of the specific methods and equipment required to teach a child with visual impairment.

In November 2022, Sightsavers organised a district-level general teacher training session in Kalahandi. The objective of the training was to promote inclusive classrooms, provide ICT-based teaching for children with visual impairments, and enhance classroom facilitation skills.

She learned how to effectively teach children with visual impairments using ICT tools and an inclusive curriculum during the training. She then implemented various strategies in her classroom, such as appropriate seating arrangements, utilising ICT resources, providing tactile learning materials, and allocating additional time for evaluating the needs of children with visual impairments.

As a result, she observed increased active participation among her students, fostering an enjoyable and inclusive learning environment. The performance of children with special needs also witnessed significant improvement.