According to estimations there are about 200000 visually impaired people in Nepal, about 40000 of them are of school going age. However, only 4000 children (10%) recieve education in special or integrated schools. Every year an average of 70 to 80 students pass the school leaving exam (S.L.C.). For these students it is a challenge to continue their college education as they have to come to Kathmandu and have limited choice of accessible literature and study material.
The low education level makes it hard for visually impaired adults to find employment. . Especially visually impaired people in rural areas have little access to special services as most institutions for the blind are situated in Kathmandu. In the mountain areas, mobility of visually impaired people is even more limited due to the complicated geographical conditions where it is required to walk for a long distance to reach the next village or a road.
Visually impaired women are double marginalized due to their gender and disability. Their limited mobility excludes them from many opportunities for education and employment.
As a consequence, many visually impaired people are not able to contribute to the income of their families and depend entirely on support by family or community members. This has a negative impact on their self confidence and the perception of their capacities by themselves and the society. They are perceived more as a burden than a full member of society with rights and responsibilities.
Visually impaired people who are employed work mainly in the following professions:
