National Association for the Blind
NAB Karnataka Branch was founded with a mission to make the visually challenged lead an independent lifestyle and earn his/her livelihood as equal members of society. Mrs Atmaram Rao was the Founder President. NAB-K started as an employment and placement service for the Visually Impaired. The Royal Commonhealth Society for the Blind, UK provided the initial financial support.
Seeing the conditions of the rural blind, NAB-K initiated a yearlong Rehabilitation and Basic Training for the adult, uneducated, rural visually-impaired person to get either self-employed or employment across various industries.
To make the visually impaired mobile and self-dependent, NAB-K’s Mobility Training Centre was established to provide training in daily living skills, hygiene, body language etc. Force10 Australia, headed by Mr.Don Westway, provided the initial financial support and training.
With the support of State Bank of India and National Institute for the Visually Handicapped (Dehradun), a 2 year-long Technical Training Program for men was established to train the educated visually impaired in Fitter’s trade.
NAB-K started its first Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) program in Chikkaballapur. To-date, NABK has trained about 500 field workers across 38 batches to work in our CBR programs across different talukas in different districts.
NAB-K started an Integrated Education Program where teachers from NAB-K visited sighted schools that had visually impaired children and conducted classes in Mathematics, Braille & Mobility skills.
NAB-K initiated Prevention of Blindness Program, an awareness program for children in slum areas who had Vitamin A deficiency. NAB-K facilitated free medical treatment for these children in order to prevent blindness.
NAB-K’s centers across Bangalore shifted to a new campus, the present NAB-K center in Jeevan Bhimanagar.
Sense International funded programs at NABK’s new campus to train the Deaf & Blind and other multi-handicapped children.
NABK won the late Dr. Burjor Dorabshah Pallonji Memorial Award for outstanding work in the field of employment in India for 3 consequent years
NAB-K won the National Award for outstanding work in the field of employment for visually impaired persons.
In partnership with National Institute of Information Technology, NAB-K opened the Ratna Atmaram Rao Computer Training Center for the Visually Impaired. This was the first of its kind in India.
NAB-K started training the visually impaired to work at call-centres.
NAB-K opened a Low Vision Center which provided assessment facilities and low vision aids for our beneficiaries. This was sponsored by GE Volunteers.
NAB-K won the National Award for outstanding work in the field of employment for visually impaired persons.
NAB-K won the NCPEDP Shell Helen Keller Award.
NAB-K won the State Government award for Best Institution in Karnataka.
NAB-K started a Home Management Program for the Visually Impaired to impart simple cooking skills for their daily living. This was supported by GE Volunteers.
NAB-K’s CEO, Mr. M Srinivas was selected by Government of Karnataka for the Individual State Award for outstanding work in the field of employment for visually impaired.
NAB-K started the Sunetra Mobile Van initiative, where NAB-K conducted eye-camps for students across government schools and provided free spectacles to students who had refractive errors in their eyes. This program was funded by State Bank of India.
In association with Arvind Eye Hospital & Vittala International Institute of Ophthalmic Sciences, NAB-K started Project Jyoti with a mission to eradicate curable blindness for the rural population of Karnataka.
NAB-K’s integrated educator in rural Karnataka, Mr. N. Ramesh, was selected by the Government of Karnataka for the Best Teacher Award.
NAB-K’s Mobility Teacher, Mr. Mohan B Naik, was selected by the Government of Karnataka for the Best Teacher Award.
NAB-K’s Mobility Teacher, Mrs. K N Shobha, was selected by the Government of Karnataka for the Best Teacher Award.
NAB-K Mysore was selected by the Government of Karnataka for the Best Institution award.
NAB-K mysore’s Technical Trainer, Mr. Srinivas A, was selected by the Government of Karnataka for the Best Teacher Award.
- Over the years NAB-K’s programs have helped many:
- Our Mobility Training Centre has trained over 6000 beneficiaries from all over the world.
- Our Train-the-Trainer program has trained over 600 trainers in Bangalore.
- Our Rehabilitation and Basic Training Centre has trained over 1500 beneficiaries.
- Our Computer Training centre has trained over 600 beneficiaries.
- Our Industrial and Technical Training Center in Mysore has trained over 800 beneficiaries.
- Our Technical Training Institute, Bangalore has trained over 600 beneficiaries.
- Our Community Based Rehabilitation Program has enabled more than 30,000 Visually impaired persons.
We have had a glorious past with many milestones and we are looking forward to a future with many more.
