Background
The African Braille Centre (ABC) is a regional non-governmental organization registered in
Kenya. Since 1987 ABC has been pursuing excellence in the production of education materials in
Braille and other accessible formats for visually impaired people with a special focus on
children. ABC has provided services in East, West and Southern Africa supporting Braille
production centres in Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Somaliland in Eastern Africa. In Western
Africa, ABC has worked with and supported Braille centres in Ghana, Sierra Leone and the
Gambia. In southern Africa, ABC has worked in Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland and Zimbabwe. ABC
has also been approached for assistance by centres in D R Congo, Rwanda and Southern Sudan.
ABC has supported education for visually impaired children in Kenya and the region since 1987.
During that period, many children in the region have had access to education as a result of
ABC’s work. Specifically, ABC has supported learners in the region with educational materials
in Braille, print and digital audio. ABC has also been in the forefront of advocating for the
rights to education of visually impaired learners. In the process, ABC, in partnership with
Ministry of Education and others, has been involved in the development of the Special Needs
Education Policy in Kenya, which is now operational. ABC has also been involved in regional
efforts to develop standards for Braille and tactile maps and diagrams.
ABC utilizes the emerging technologies to bridge existing learning gap for children with visual
impairment through provision of learning materials in alternative & accessible format and by
providing assistive devices. In its pursuit of excellence and bring access to education for
learners with visual impairment, ABC has been involved in a number of innovative projects that
promote use of technology to enhance access to quality education. Some of the projects include
Talking books, SMART Brailler, Braille-n-Print, DOT Mini assistive device, Orbit 20 Reader,
Production of computer generated Tactile diagrams etc.