Treating Blindness Around the World

VIVEKANANDA MISSION ASRAM, HALDIA, WEST BENGAL, INDIA, JANUARY 14, 2016: Blind boys play chess in their dorm room in the hostel residence of the Vivekananda Mission Asram school for the blind. The game requires extraordinary memory skills for a blind person and the spectators are also likely to feel the pieces to know how the game is progressing. It is a good example of how certain skill sets are highly developed in a blind person in the absence of sight. Vivekananda is the highest rated school for blind children in India, the country with the highest number of blind people, around 1% of their population, approximately 12 million people. Vivekanda Mission Asram provides care to some of the poorest of blind children, providing them with an education and tools for life survival once they leave the Asram after graduating. The children learn a normal school curriculum through braille and a team of dedicated teachers. Vocational training is also available at the Asram in weaving, candle making amongst other skills that can add meaning to a blind life in India. Most of the blind in India end up as beggars, this school offers students a chance to be more than that. A number of their students have gone on to become senior teachers for sighted pupils, lawyers and business people. In these images the boys and girls are seen attending school lessons, learning Braille, music as well as scenes from their hostel residence and sports activities. (Photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images Reportage)