Albinism and education

ALBINISM AND EDUCATION (FOR TEACHERS)

School and education is for everyone!

Education is a right with no prejudice to a particular child or adult and therefore necessary steps need to be taken to enhance the learning process of a person with albinism (PWA) or child with albinism (CWA). Teachers and learning facilitators should appreciate the problems of PWA and CWA to be able to manage the challenges in their learning institutions. To achieve this the following steps should be followed:

  • Use blackboards, or materials with good contrast to enable a CWA read and write well
  • In case of white boards, keep them clean and whitest while using black pens for sharp contrast
  • Increase the size of writings on the board/ make them bold
  • If all that fails, teacher or educator can make efforts to photocopy their notes for CWA or PWA
  • Allow the use of assistive devices such as monocular or magnifier
  • Make use of large prints and enlarge examination papers as well as other handouts and try to find out what size works for them by consulting the parent or doctors 
  • Use the center portion of the boards not the far ends to improve visibility
  • At times dictate notes instead of writing on the board
  • Re-organize the classroom so that a CWA can sit at the front and at the center close to the board
  • The re-positioning should be done carefully to ensure CWA will not stare at the sunlight
  • Give them equal rights and opportunity and respect the personality of a CWA by treating them equally with other learners
  • Exempt CWA from outdoor activities under a harsh scorching sun since they require protection from the sun
  • Monitor the general performance and progress of CWA or PWA during learning.
  • Frequently introduce probing questions to prompt them to open up.
  • Have one on one discussions with them so that they can be free to voice up the positive and negative side of learning. Engage CWA to identify the support they need to improve learning and performance.
  • Solicit peer support for CWA from other learners for instant assigning a capable and kind student to be a peer mentor.
  • Adopt a system where any student, who ridicules, abuses, victimizes or ostracizes a CWA faces dire consequences.

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