NGO for visually impaired||Sightsavers India

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SIGHTSAVERS
Transforming lives since 1966
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Surveys state that India has the largest
visually-impaired population in the world. 75
of these visually-impaired cases could have been
prevented, had treatment been available to them
at affordable prices. Blindness is an important
cause and effect of poverty.
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• Sightsavers is a global non-profit organization
  (NGO) that operates in over 30 countries across
  the world.
• It has been saving sights and changing lives in
  India since 1966, and has been counted among the
  top 10 NGOs in India.
• Sightsavers has undertaken several initiatives to
  expand the reach of its eye-health services to
  regions across the least served parts of Indian
  sub-continent.
• Their work in India has enabled thousands of
  people to lead their lives with freedom and
  dignity.

WHO WE ARE
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• We aspire for a society where no one loses their
  vision because of lack of resources and everyone
  have proper healthcare.
• We are working for an inclusive society where
  there are equal opportunities for all to reach
  their full potential and contribute for a better
  future.

Our Vision
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• To improve coverage and access to affordable,
  quality eye-health services across India.
• To increase awareness and improve attitudes
  towards eye ailments with the vision of an
  inclusive society.
• Help educate the vast number of children
  suffering from visual-impairment and make them
  active participants in the society.
• Equip the visually-impaired with skills and
  assistance they need to earn a living and lead an
  independent life.

Our Objectives
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• We work towards prevention of avoidable blindness
  in the country.
• Our work also aims at bringing social equality as
  well as inclusivity for people with disabilities.
  
• Assist those who have incurable visual-impairment
  to live independently.
• We ensure that people with visual-impairments
  have access to preventive, curative and
  rehabilitative programs without financial
  challanges.

What We Do
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• There are 8 million people in India suffering
  from blindness or some type of corneal disease
  and most of them live in the poorest sections of
  the country with no access to the basic health
  care facilities.
• These unfortunate people live with this
  disability due to lack of finances or proper
  vision restoration clinics and hospitals.
• The political body of India tends to ignore their
  plight for help as they dont form a huge vote
  bank.
• Lack of medication and trearment becomes both the
  cause and effect of blindness. It forms a vicious
  cycle that is hard to come out of until a hand of
  help is extended.

Causes of visual disability
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• REFRACTIVE ERROR
• Refractive error is an eye-ailment where
  light does not accurately focus onto the retina
  due to the shape of the eye. It results in an
  impaired vision and easily curable with
  eyeglasses, lenses and surgery.
• CATARACT
• Cataract is clouding of the eyes lens leading to
  a decrease in vision. It often develops slowly
  and can affect one or both the eyes. This can be
  treated with medication and surgery.

What Are We Up Against?
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• GLAUCOMA
• Glaucoma is a group of eye-diseases that results
  in damage to the optic nerve and can lead to
  vision loss. It can be prevented if the disease
  is recognized early
• CHILDHOOD BLINDNESS
• It may occur due to genetic mutations, birth
  defects, premature birth, nutritional
  deficiencies, infections, injuries, and other
  causes and in some cases it can be reversed.
• TRACHOMA
• It causes a roughening of the inner surface of
  the eyelids. This roughening can lead to pain,
  breakdown of the cornea and eventual blindness.
  It can be treated with antibiotics in early
  stages and with surgery to treat advance forms.

What Are We Up Against?
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• Your small contribution could change someones
  life. Raise your voice for people who do not get
  heard.
• Help us in our mission to transform the life of
  people who cannot afford to do it on their own.
  We need you!
• Donate for our noble cause today! We need your
  invaluable support to carry out our work. Without
  it, we cease to exist.
• Anyone can contribute by partnering up with us on
  our projects and initiatives. You can find out
  about our Partnership Policy in our website.

Help us illuminate someones life
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• Sightsavers works passionately to provide
  inclusive education and ensure that visually
  impaired or blind children are included in
  mainstream education. It is a crucial step
  towards eliminating poverty and social
  discrimination.
• Children born without disability should be made
  aware about the challenges our disabled community
  face so they can accept blind and visually
  impaired children from an early age and treat
  them as their equals.
• Education allows the differently challenged
  person to live in a normal social environment.
  They no longer feel isolated and participate more
  actively in social activities throughout their
  lives.

Benefits of education
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• Teachers and volunteers are being trained to
  advance the inclusion process so they can provide
  blind and visually impaired with skills.
• We also provide right technology and physical
  aids like Braille books and white canes along
  with low vision devices provide greater
  independence to survive with dignity.
• Sightsavers is a member of the Global Campaign
  for Education (GCE). It works with local
  regional partners to strengthen the development
  of national education in India so that free and
  inclusive education is available to all.

Means of Education
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Social Inclusion

• We believe that people with disabilities such
  as blindness or
• Visual impairment must have equal rights to
  achieve their full
• full potential.
• There have been many improvements in the past
  due to the
• work or Sightsavers in India. We want to
  continue this initiative
• and provide access to the public and
  private services to the
• disabled community.

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• Preventing blindness increases access to
  education, employment and prosperity, and enables
  greater participation in civil, social and
  political life.
• Sightsavers supports inclusive education to
  ensures blind and visually impaired children are
  included in mainstream education. It is crucial
  to lift people out of poverty and help them
  participate in social activities on equal basis
  with other children.
• We believe that people with disabilities such as
  blindness or visual impairments have an equal
  right to achieve their full potential, just like
  everyone else. That is why we provide healthcare,
  rehabilitative and technological aids for their
  better survival.

Promotion of sight, inclusivity and equality
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• Vidya, a seventy year old mother was detected
  with cataract in both eyes. She had an all
  expenses paid surgery after which she was able to
  see. She is now preparing for a second surgery
  based on our doctors recommendation. She
  extends her gratitude to UAPF, Sightsavers and
  Mahadeo Singhvi Eye Hospital for helping her in
  seeing again.
• Pushpalata is a 20-year old married woman with 6
  children and she is from UP. She was struggling
  to provide care and education to all her children
  with a low-income job of stitching. She was
  introduced to Viklang Kalyan, an initiative of
  Sightsavers. She received the skill development
  training from and now she heads Viklang Kalyan in
  Bhairopur. She provides trainings on stitching
  and designing which helps her earn a steady
  income that is enough for a good living.

Success Stories