Establish information resource center for the blind
Organization name: Mongolian National Federation of the Blind (MNFB)
Project title:
Establish information resource center for the blind
Organization information:
Legal name: Mongolian National Federation of the Blind
Address:
“C” Corps of Occupational and Training Enterprise for the Blind.
3-r khoroo, Chinggis Avenue,
Khan-Uul district, Ulaanbaatar. Mongolia
Postal address: 36/511
Website:
Tel/Fax: +976-70044179
Contact person:
GerelDondovdorj
Title: president of the MNFB
e-mail:
phone: 976 88111379
brief description of the organization:
MNFB is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that works to defend the rights of blind people living in Mongolia and to support their participation in civil society on an equal footing with sighted people. The Federation has twenty-tree branches nationwide and the network helps to provide education, employment, healthcare, culture, sport, recreation and charity to its 9600 visually impaired members.
MNFB was established by the initiation of blind persons in 1978.
MNFB is a member of World Blind Union and World Blind Union-Asia Pacific, International Blind Sports Association, Asian Medical Massage Instructors Network.
MNFB pay attention on education, employment, social protection and many other issues related to blind people’s interests through nationwide and abroad and express federation’s attitude or position.
The federation is functioning for approximately 9600 people with blind, low vision, and visually impairment through 23 provincial chapters and districts and it has councils on elder, blind women, sport, culture, and youths.
Every four years, MNFB convenes its Congress on where all members discuss the activities for past four years identifies the goals for the upcoming years, and elects the management team.
Braille and Talking Books Publishing Center, Vocational Training Center, Kindergarten for blind children, Best FM 98.5 Radio Reading Services, and “Best Massage” networking centers of the blind masseurs are running activities under the federation.
needs of the project:
according to 2010 population and housing survey, in Mongolia there are 16600 blind and law vision people. About 3000 of them live in Ulaanbaatar and the rest of the population lives in remote areas.
Only 3,6 per cent of 7900 labor age blind people are employed and mostly they engage with massage, music and hand graft works.
There is only one special school for the blind children and it is located in Ulaanbaatar. Between school year 2014 and 2015, 87 visually impaired children studied in the school. An inclusive education system not been implemented in Mongolia. Therefore, The only possibility for access to education for blind children is the special school for the blind.
For further education blind children and adults are depending on the possibilities offered by the MNFB.
The MNFB is depending on funds to organize and conduct this additional education. High schools, high level vocational schools and universities are inaccessible for blind students, because they do not provide special equipment or materials which enable blind students to study same as other students.
With the above mentioned reason and in order to provide more job opportunity for our members, MNFB established vocational training center for the blind in 2015 with the permission of the ministry of labor. The vocational training center provides 4 specialization/professions, namely masseur, musician, craftsmen and accessible technology expert.
In the school year 2016-2017, there are 75 visually impaired students are studying in the vocational training center. Although, it has been run its operation almost for 2 years, still we do not have a library or resource center where blind students can do their homework and accessinformations by using computers and Braille and DAISY books in their free time.
Also, MNFB is only an organization in Mongolia which provides different type of services for the blind. But still there is no space-center which our members can access information and braill and DAISY books which we produce.
Therefore, in order to increase an opportunity for blind students and our members to access information and library services we are proposing this project.
Second needs of this project:
We believe that active and empowered members play an important role in organizationalsustainability. Information resource center will provide blind students and our members to access various information that help them to improve education and employment which make them become more active.
goal of the project:
to increase opportunities for the blind students and members to access information that opening up them possibility to participate in social life on an equall bases with others.
objective:
to establish information resource center at MNFB building
Project duration:
From first ofApril 2017 to 31st of September , 2017
Amount of funding requested (in USD):USD 5000 ______
MNFB contribution: we will put to the information resource center some special devices such as talking and Braille clock, white cane, talking blood pressure, talking thermometer and other needed talking devices as a demonstration.
project activities:
-Repairing and decorating a room of Information centre
-Purchasing equipments and items necessary for the Information centre
-Furnishing and arranging items in the room
-Connecting to the internet
Promoting to the members about starting activities of the Information centre.
Open up services
MNFB has a 2- store building with 1032 square meter. Vocational training center uses 325 square meter of that. In the first floor of the building there is a room with 36 square meter. Currently we use this room as a storeroom. We will use this room as information resource center.Some renovation work will be carried out at the room.
Furnishing and interior arrangement of the information room shall be made as following:
Many items including library for the blinds, special devices such as talking and Braille clock, white cane, talking blood pressure, talking thermometer and DAISY player etc shall be furnished in the room.
Also it shall have 2 computers with NVDA and connected to the internet, and would be possible to organize trainings of Braille script, space orientation, other trainings. In other words, by coming to the information room, the blind students and members can read Braille and talking books, get know about what special purpose appliances do blind people use in their daily life in recent times and get latest information from the internet.
In addition, the information room shall be arranged to provide blind people with opportunity to have free time meeting and talk to exchange their opinions, experience and knowledge at certain times. After furnishing the Information Room, promotional activities through media shall start.
the following activities would be carryed out in the center:
-Providing a library service with Braille and talking books.
-Downloading information necessary for blind people from the internet to form database and provide them with any information day need.
-Organizing meeting, interview and various trainings.
- To prepare manuals of necessity information,
To teach blind members how to use special devices such as DAISY player, talking blood pressure,
The Information resoursecentershall open from 9AM to 7PM every day.
Expected result:
Following outcomes will have as a result of establishing the information resource center.
- Improved access for blind students and members to information which is needed their development
- Reduction of time spent at home in isolation and loneliness and improved conditions for blind people by reading, talking to each other and sharing information
- MNFB had more members with increased participation in different events
Library services will be become available for blind students and members
Blind students and members who access services at the center self-confidence will be increased and they will contribute to the development of MNFB.
Blind students will have an opportunity to have a space where they can do their homework and receive other needed services for their study
budget:
budget is attached