KZN BLIND AND DEAF SOCIETY
Services
KwaZulu-Natal Blind and Deaf Society provides a range of services to blind, partially-sighted, deaf, hard-of-hearing, and deaf-blind people in Durban and its surroundings, Chatsworth, Pinetown, Umlazi, Amanzimtoti and Durban South, Inanda, KwaMashu, Ntezuma, Phoenix, Verulam, Tongaat, Kwa Dekuza, Pietermaritzburg and Zululand. The Society’s work is substantially improving the lives of our clients, contributing to their development and independence.
KZN BLIND AND DEAF SOCIETY
Academy of Learning
We run an Academy of Learning providing education and training for people who suffer Blindness and Deafness disabilities later in life or who for some reason have not been able to go to school. Training includes computer literacy training, Braille literacy and South African Sign Language literacy training
Computer literacy training is to empower blind and Deaf persons to become computer literate.
Teaching a blind person to read a tactile system of dots on a page with signs
and signals called contractions or reading using fingers.
Interpreting is provided for Deaf persons to access Society
services in the communication form used by Deaf people. Basic sign language is also taught to community members for a fee.
The Society has 3 sheltered workshops: Basketry, Assembly and Sewing, which offers an avenue to provision clients with valuable skills and opportunities to alleviate some of the issues alluded to in the job placement priority area.
Hydroponics – to up-skill individual in hydroponics (available at Pietermaritzburg Regional Committee)
Awareness Programs are provided to communities, schools, corporates, government departments to promote the inclusion of disabled persons in all aspects of life.
A protective employment workshop is run for beneficiaries on weekdays. They engage in contract work and craft activities to keep them gainfully occupied and give them a sense of belonging.