Closing Accessibility Gaps for Blind

Dear friends,

Warm greetings from Ndola, Zambia. Thanks to your initial support and encouragement, our “Closing Accessibility Gaps for Blind Students” project is moving from vision to action. At Lions School for the Blind, we have spent the past weeks working closely with teachers, administrators, and students to understand their daily learning struggles without braille books or assistive technology. Many of the 500 visually impaired learners rely on shared or outdated materials, slowing their progress and limiting their independence. Together with the school, we have now completed a needs assessment, identified priority classes for the first rollout of specialized computers, and mapped out the exact software and assistive tools (screen readers, braille support, and magnification tools) that will best fit their curriculum.

Our next steps focus on implementation that truly transforms the classroom, not just adds equipment. We are preparing a phased plan to introduce specialized computers to classrooms while training teachers to confidently use assistive technologies in their lessons. This will allow blind students to read, write, research, and participate in digital learning alongside others — opening doors to future education, employment, and independence. Although we are still at the beginning of the fundraising journey, the school community is energized and hopeful. Your solidarity is already sending a clear message to these students: you are not forgotten, and your right to quality, accessible education matters.