TEHRAN – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has procured a high-tech braille embosser for the Ministry of Education (MoE) and Special Education Organization (SEO), which will enhance learning for a total of 7,145 children with visual disabilities across the country.

The Braillo 600 SR2 braille embosser will address the critical need for accessible learning materials among the 7,145 children with visual disabilities currently studying in Iran’s formal education system, the UNICEF website announced in a press release on February 4.

This includes 5,239 girls and boys in mainstream schools and 1,906 in special schools, ensuring more equitable educational opportunities for these students gaining access to inclusive education through enhanced production of braille textbooks.

This initiative addresses a pressing challenge in Iran’s education system, where the previous two Norwegian braille embossers, after 35 years of service, have become unreliable and insufficient for current needs. 

The SEO must produce approximately 28,000 braille textbooks annually, comprising 194 subject-grade specific textbooks in 279 volumes, to ensure all students have access to educational materials before the school year begins. 

Access to braille learning materials is essential for ensuring children with visual disabilities fully participate in society and realize their rights. This new embosser will serve generations of students, with an estimated 214,350 children benefiting over its 30-year lifespan. 

UNICEF’s procurement of the embosser was especially critical, as international sanctions had prevented SEO from acquiring the equipment directly. This intervention demonstrates UNICEF’s commitment to supporting inclusive education and ensuring no child is left behind due to disability. 

Measures focusing on children with disabilities

UNICEF and Tejarat Bank have started a campaign titled ‘Disability is part of me, not all of me’ which aims to empower children with disabilities in Iran through raising awareness and fostering a supportive environment.

This initiative highlights the commitment of both organizations to promoting inclusion, accessibility, and equal opportunities for children with disabilities in Iran, UNICEF website announced in a press release on January 30.

The nationwide fundraising campaign is designed to improve children with disabilities’ lives. The campaign’s messages emphasize empowerment, dignity, and inclusion for children with disabilities.

This co-branded campaign will run across all Tejarat Bank branches, ATMs, Tejarat Bank customer clubs, and digital platforms, encouraging the public to donate to UNICEF.  

Under a globally unique program called ‘Earthquake Preparedness Education for Children with Disabilities’, UNICEF and its partners have developed three books each targeting different stakeholders, i.e. parents/caregivers of children with disabilities, teachers, and policymakers.

Throughout the books, UNICEF and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in collaboration with the International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (IIEES), offer guidelines on disaster management, including mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery, focusing on children with hearing impairments, mobility impairments, and autism spectrum disorder so far, UNICEF website announced in a press release on January 19.

Furthermore, four consultative training workshops were held, where teachers, social workers, and aid workers learned and provided feedback on strategies for supporting children with disabilities before, during, and after earthquakes.

The program’s journey does not stop here. Plans are already underway to update the guidebooks to include guidelines for children with vision impairments and to expand the resources to address all types of disabilities. This initiative represents a significant leap towards inclusive earthquake preparedness, ensuring a safer and more resilient future for every child in Iran, regardless of their disabilities.

MT/MG