Turkey: Mentoring and tutoring for visually-impaired teenagers
Supporting the integration of visually-impaired people with adapted equipment and coaching.
Integration of people with a disability into society can prove challenging in the case of inappropriate infrastructure or accompanying measures. In Istanbul, an association founded by parents of visually impaired children provides educational support to children, teenagers and their families while raising awareness about blindness within Turkish society.
Very aware of this topic, a group of Givaudan volunteers decided to bring support to this association by providing weekly private tutoring in subjects such as Chemistry, Physics or English to teenagers from the association. They also support the teenagers in their process of finding suitable higher education opportunities. In addition, our contribution has enabled the purchase of Orbit readers (refreshable Braille display that can also be used as a book-reader and note taker) to teenagers so they can follow their schooling more easily. Activities to introduce the students to the world of fragrances have also been organized.
We have also supported the creation of an IT room equipped with assistive devices. The room contributes to the academic development of the teenagers who will also receive capacitation by skilled teachers on the use of the various devices.
After the 2023 earthquake, we have supported our partner organization in supplying new assistive devices to students impacted by the earthquake. Additionally, we have contributed to online educational support for these students, helping them catch up on any school interruptions caused by the earthquake.
