Baptist Mission Integrated School

Visual impairments change the way in which children obtain information about the world around them. The opportunities to learn through visual observation are limited.
As children with visual impairments bring many challenges for families and individuals the Baptist Mission Integrated School(BMIS) is working for positive changes.

BMIS has been working since 1977, to provide education for visually impaired girls in Mirpur (Dhaka), considering their special needs. A light of hope was created in those families with visually impaired children. Often these families feel burdened with the challenges of caring for a child with special needs. Bangladesh is still lacking provision for schooling for children with special needs. As a result, parents find themselves often left alone with the challenges to provide an education for their children with special needs. For over 40 years BMIS has been playing an important role in society to improve the situation by providing facilities to support visually impaired girls. They gain confidence in themselves and their abilities to enjoy life, socialising with peers on a regular basis, exploring life outside of their homes, etc.

At BMIS, additional teaching is provided to regular classroom studies, where children with visual impairments learn specialised skills.

The children learn

specific orientation and mobility techniques for safe and independent mobility
to use tools to support independent mobility
literacy – reading and writing with braille
through age appropriate education from an early age and appropriate career education
social skills and skills for more independent living in the future (interaction with others, body language; personal grooming, money management, food preparation, and other tasks)
technology and computer proficiency

Education is provided for girls from class 1 to 10. The school has earned an excellent reputation due to its special education programme. After completing their primary level education, many students are very eager to continue their education.

BMIS has been running the school from Play Group to Class Five encouraging and supporting the integration of blind children in a normal school routine, in which sighted students and blind students learn and play together. This approach supports the development of special social skills in sighted students as they learn how to relate and include co-students with special needs in a natural way (as this is not a common approach in society).
From it's inception BMIS has been producing Braille books for the students of primary and secondary level through its Braille press. The special books for the students are provided free of cost, to provide the opportunity to continue further studies.
BMIS makes a countrywide impact as it is a specialised school, which is able to assist public schools to integrate students with visual impairments more successfully.
With the financial assistance of Alcester Support Group (UK) and Moden (Japan), BMIS was able to provide food, clothes and medicine for the girls.

Training and Recreation

Special skills need to be learned by children with visual impairments. Also parents learn to integrate their children in social activities and daily life, viewing them as people of dignity and worth.

Often the girls face challenges in their social environment, because their families feel burdened by the responsibilities to care for them. Due to the lack of skills and knowledge how to support their children best. SHED Board seeks to change that by providing hands-on training for daily life situations. This enables girls with visual impairments to use the skills being taught at the hands-on training on a daily basis (i.e. washing, cleaning, cooking,…). Through the development of personal skills and a safe environment to explore their own potential, the girls are trained to be proactive in life, even though they face many challenges.

Being equipped with life changing skills to be more independent from the help of people around them (relatives, parents, ….) increases the girls’ confidence and self-worth.

Through the the vocal training programs provided by the Vocal Training Center at Pakhirchala (in Mymensingh district) and their families and relatives, the girls are encouraged to have confidence and hope for the future, being able to rely not only on others but their own skills and abilities to master life’s challenges, knowing of the support and love from those they love.