Our Services
Education
Low vision
Screening & Detection
Training
Awareness & Advocacy
Empowerment
Education
From the early years until the end of your education journey, read below to see how Bona uBuntu can assist you.
Early Childhood Development
Early education and stimulation are important for all young children, but even more so for children with a visual impairment. With 80 per cent of our learning being visual, babies and young children with vision loss must receive intentional, quality early education to help bridge the gap of learning lost through vision.
To ensure that young children with a visual impairment receive the appropriate early childhood service that they require, the Bona uBuntu Programme offers two early education learning programmes/interventions.
0-3 years
A moms and babies programme designed to provide caregivers with the knowledge, skills and support they need to care for and stimulate their young visually impaired child.
This programme, which was initiated by and is funded by Bona uBuntu, is facilitated by Nkosinathi Foundation, a stakeholder and vital partner in the provision of services in the field of disability.
This baby and toddler programme takes place twice a week and provides a stimulation programme for little ones, as well as guidance and advice for caregivers. Early intervention and stimulation are crucial to the development of young visually impaired children, and the BuB team can provide home visits, information and advice for parents, monitoring of milestones as well as access to a rotating toy library.
3-6 years
aim to ensure
children are school ready
Bona uBuntu has a preschool programme available for visually impaired children aged 3-6 years old. This programme is integrated into an existing preschool where the children learn, play and socialise with sighted children while still receiving the individualised attention and adaptations they need to learn.
This programme includes the usual learning areas of the standard early childhood development curriculum such as numeracy, literacy, and life skills, as well as additional learning content/opportunities such as early orientation and mobility, pre-braille and braille skills and the use of assistive devices.
Sensory learning, the development of tactile skills, auditory discrimination skills, and learning through play and outings are all common aspects of the additional curriculum that preschool learners enjoy regularly.
Currently, this preschool programme is only available in Gqeberha. However, the Bona Ubuntu team provides guidance, training, and support to preschool teachers across the province. If your visually impaired child is starting their educational journey, contact us for support!
These early interventions aim to ensure the children are school-ready at the appropriate age, with all the necessary skills, so that parents can make an informed decision about the future schooling and education options for their child.
6 and onwards
When your child reaches ‘big school’ or grade R, the support from Bona uBuntu continues! Please see the next section as to what support is available to parents, children and teachers as the visually impaired child enters formal schooling.
his programme includes the standard early childhood development curriculum, covering areas such as numeracy, literacy, and life skills, as well as additional content and opportunities, including early orientation and mobility, pre-braille and braille skills, and the use of assistive devices.
Sensory learning, the development of tactile skills, auditory discrimination skills, and learning through play and outings are all common aspects of the additional curriculum that preschool learners enjoy regularly.
Currently, this preschool programme is only available in Gqeberha. However, the Bona Ubuntu team provides guidance, training, and support to preschool teachers across the province. If your visually impaired child is starting their educational journey, contact us for support!
These early interventions aim to ensure the children are school-ready at the appropriate age, with all the necessary skills, so that parents can make an informed decision about the future schooling and education options for their child.
Education
From the early years until the end of your education journey, read below to see how Bona uBuntu can assist you.
Grade R – 12
When selecting suitable schooling options, parents can either place their child in mainstream schools or opt for a special school that caters to visually impaired children. The Bona uBuntu Programme can guide and assist parents through the decision and the relevant application processes.
Mainstream school
Should parents decide to keep their child in mainstream schooling, the Bona uBuntu programme offers a unique service, in the form of an itinerant teacher.
An itinerant teacher is a teacher who supports your child (and their teacher) in terms of their disability in the classroom. This teacher is not in the classroom full time with your child, but instead offers the following to help them thrive:
- assists parents and educators in understanding what the child needs to succeed in the class, such as ideal font size, seating arrangements, adaptations etc.
- training and workshops for educators on how to support a child with a visual impairment in their class with best-suited accommodations & adaptations
- provides advice and assistance with adapting teaching and learning resources and materials
- provides advice on what assistive devices could help the child in the classroom as well as training and lessons on how to use the device
- when needed, itinerant support in-class is available [currently Gqeberha only]
- assists parents and teachers with the relevant paperwork to ensure that the child gets appropriate support from the Department of Education
- provides advice and guidance regarding concessions to both schools and parents
- facilitates weekly youth group for teens to meet with and chat with other youngsters with visual impairments [Currently Gqeberha only]. Please see empowerment for more information about this group.
This support is ongoing, and the level/type of support is unique to each child and their needs. Such support facilitates inclusion and enables more children with visual impairments to access quality education!
Special schools
In the Eastern Cape, three special schools cater specifically to learners who have a visual impairment. The three schools are:
- Khanyisa Special School, Gqeberha
- Efata School for the Blind and Deaf, Mthatha
- Zamokhule Special School, Bizana
Should parents wish to enrol their child in a special school, the Bona uBuntu Programme can assist them with contacting the schools and the necessary paperwork. If you would like guidance and advice, please contact us.
Bona uBuntu has various initiatives that aim at collaborating with and uplifting the special schools through teacher training and learner empowerment initiatives.
Education
From the early years until the end of your education journey, read below to see how Bona uBuntu can assist you.
Additional Education Services
The following services are available after school to support the children’s learning of low-vision skills:
Braille lessons
We offer lessons to learners and their families who want and need to learn braille. We believe in starting the process of learning braille while a child still has sight, so that if they lose their vision and need to rely on braille one day, they are already prepared to do so. We offer lessons to learners and their families who want and need to learn Braille. We believe in starting the process of learning Braille while a child still has sight, so that if they lose their vision and need to rely on Braille one day, they are already prepared to do so. These lessons start at the very beginning, developing the tactile sensitivity of the child’s hands and progressing to learning the alphabet, reading and tracking fluently, and writing braille. All the lessons are fun, age- appropriate, and engaging.
Computers
Technology is one of the biggest assets that can assist a visually impaired person in accessing the world around them. Through computer lessons, we strive to equip the child with the knowledge and skills to be able to use technology to access education and opportunities and harness their full potential. Lessons include learning how to use touch typing, shortcut keys, speech-to-text software, magnification software, and other skills and software related to visual impairment needed to be a proficient computer user.
Low vision learning lessons
Learning with low vision can sometimes require adaptations, magnification, alternative visual strategies and learning how to use the remaining vision that a child has. Our team can assist a child (and their support system) in learning how to use different adaptions, methods and tools to help them cope in the classroom.
Assistive devices
There are a variety of assistive devices that learners can use to help them access teaching and learning materials in the classroom. Our team has the knowledge and skills to teach the child how to care for and use the device effectively.
Low Vision
Providing support and services to low-vision, partially sighted and blind children is a key aspect of the services Bona uBuntu provides. Some of those services include:
Low vision assessments
A full low vision assessment is critical in ensuring that a visually impaired child receives the appropriate intervention and accommodations. This assessment, done by an optometrist, provides crucial information about the child’s vision. Through the Bona uBuntu Programme, a number of optometrists have been trained to do low vision assessments. These assessments are accompanied by a detailed report that helps the parent, teachers and child to understand their vision and the impact on daily life both in and out of the classroom.
When should a child have a low vision assessment?
A low vision assessment should take place after a child has been diagnosed with a visual impairment. It is usually an ophthalmologist (a special eye doctor) that will give your child a diagnosis.
Does your child need a low vision assessment?
Contact us if you would like to arrange a low vision assessment for your child. This is only available for children who have been diagnosed with a visual impairment.
Concessions
Each child who is diagnosed with low vision is eligible for concessions. Concessions are adaptations, support or accommodations that a child with a barrier to learning is granted to help them achieve their full potential. These concessions can include, but are not limited to, enlarged materials, additional time, a laptop in class, use of assistive devices in class, use of braille, reader and scribe, and rest breaks.
To apply for concessions, the following process needs to be followed:
- The child’s teacher and principal need to complete the SNA1 and SNA2 forms. These forms need to be discussed with and signed by the parent too.
- A specific concession form is released annually, which also needs to be completed by the school and signed by the parents.
- A medical professional needs to complete a DBE126 form.
- These forms (SNA 1 & 2 and the DBE 126) need to be submitted to the Department of Education’s District-Based Support Team (DBST)
- The DBST will review the application and grant the concessions accordingly.
If any parents need assistance, the Bona uBuntu Programme is happy to assist with the application process, access to the forms, and advice regarding concessions and their implementation.
Assistive devices
An assistive device is a piece of technology that helps to lessen or alleviate the barrier to access that a low vision or blind learner experiences. Thanks to the development of technology, there is now a wide range of devices available for learners to use.
Assistive devices can range from no-tech or low-tech to high-tech, and all play a different role depending on the needs of the child.
The Bona uBuntu Programme works with the child, school and support system to determine which device will offer the child full access to the curriculum and foster their engagement and involvement in learning.
Contact us to let us guide you in choosing and accessing appropriate assistive devices.
Screening & Detection
Early detection and intervention are crucial in ensuring that visually impaired children and their caregivers can get the appropriate support and intervention from as early as possible.
With our goal of assisting visually impaired children from as early as possible, Bona uBuntu runs a screening and detection initiative, wherein our team screens learners at local schools to identify learners who have a vision problem (and may need glasses) and those who may be visually impaired or have an underlying condition that could lead to low vision.
Following a teacher awareness session at the schools, where all teachers are educated on the warning signs of a vision problem, the team screens the learners and ensures that those that need specs receive them (free of charge) or the appropriate low vision support needed.
If you would like to find out more about our screening initiatives, kindly send an email to screening@bonaubuntu.org
Click here to download the warning sign poster!
Awareness
& Advocacy
Awareness campaigns. Our awareness-raising aimed at caregivers, teachers and health care workers focusing on the warning signs of a visual problem has been very successful. It was accompanied by a series of posters distributed via social media and in print across the Eastern Cape.
A toll-free call centre, started in 2022, enables anyone to get advice about an eye condition and a referral for screening or treatment.
People with albinism still face discrimination, misinformation and fears for their safety. This too is a major focus of our awareness efforts. We aim to dispel the myths and overcome the stigma associated with this condition.
Visually Impaired Persons (VIP) ambassadors are learners identified as strong leaders at the special schools for visually impaired. They engage with the media, the public, local leaders and community representatives, and lead advocacy and awareness campaigns.
Advocacy forums. We facilitate lobbying and advocacy forums to inform policymakers and the public about the needs and abilities of people with visual impairments. We press for policies that enable them to lead fulfilled lives.
Training
The Bona uBuntu Programme provides regular specialised training and workshops to varied professionals in the field, including but not limited to:
- Educators (at special schools and mainstream schools)
- Healthcare professionals (nurses, optometrists, occupational therapists etc)
- Social workers
- Parents
- Learners
The training offered aims to improve the skills of professionals and enable them to provide quality services within their field. Thanks to our incredible partnership with Koninklijke VISIO we are fortunate to have experts from their organisation share their knowledge and skills with us and our stakeholders regularly as well.
If you would like to find out more about upcoming training sessions, or attend one of our workshops, please don’t hesitate to contact us. To arrange bespoke training sessions or workshops for your organisation, school or company, get in touch!
Empowerment
The Bona uBuntu Programme’s mission is to ensure that partially sighted and blind children develop to their full potential and participate in an inclusive society, at home, school, and in their communities. To reach their full potential and be ready to fully participate in society as young adults, empowerment needs to begin happening at a young age, in the homes and schools of visually impaired children. Bona uBuntu has the following initiatives focusing on empowerment:
Caregivers & families
Monthly parent support groups, as well as quarterly parent workshops, are available to parents seeking socio-emotional support.
An income-generating initiative is also running, as many children with visual impairments come from impoverished families. Through our programme, Nkosinathi Foundation started and continues to run a sewing enterprise initiative to help caregivers learn skills to earn money to support themselves and break the cycle of poverty and unemployment.
Ongoing support, training and advice is readily available for families, teachers and schools. Should you wish to join any of the sessions, or need guidance, please reach out to us.
Young children
During the school holidays, various programmes and holiday clubs are run to expose the children to real-life experiences and to introduce and teach new skills – including empowerment and self-advocacy skills. Many friendships and memories are formed during these fun clubs all while learning and having fun!
Teenagers
The empowerment programmes that are run for teenagers promote independence and encourage self-advocacy and confidence while giving them the tools (and support) to do so.
There is a weekly youth group (in Gqeberha) for all high school learners at mainstream schools who have a visual impairment. This group covers a wide range of topics and skills all while having fun, supporting one another and navigating the teenage years with a disability. To learn more about joining the youth group, please contact us!
At Khanyisa Special School, Bona uBuntu started an ambassadors programme, which is an extracurricular leadership club aimed at empowering and equipping the students with valuable leadership and life skills. The learners are also actively involved in awareness campaigns in the community, participate in extra-mural school activities, and use their skills to support and mentor younger students.
We strongly believe that to facilitate the smooth transition from school to university/learnership/careers/TVET or any post-school path that visually impaired teens take, they need to be prepared not only with academic skills but also daily living skills, self-advocacy skills, self-confidence, computer literacy and empowerment skills.
