Empowerment Through Integration

ETI is committed to the development of an inclusive society by transforming the stigma against disabilities and empowering blind youth to be the changemakers of their societies. Our holistic approach incorporates blind and sighted youth, families, and their communities enabling us to enact change on the individual and societal levels.

When I was 7 years old, I lost my sight. Knowing that my life would be forever changed, even at such a young age, I found strength and confidence in myself from the support of those around me. Most importantly, my parents did not allow the expectations that society had of kids with disabilities to impact the narrative they created at home.

It was during trips to Lebanon to visit family that I experienced a different reality. It was there that I felt like my blindness was a disability. I was overwhelmed by the constant pity and charity language associated with disability. Society’s expectations of youth with disabilities  (YWDs) of what they can and cannot achieve often prevents them from exploring their potential and pursuing their dreams. I started ETI to disrupt that cycle at both the societal and individual levels and to change the narrative surrounding disability.

The primary focus of ETI’s work is to tap into the potential and human capital of all individuals, particularly those who are blind or visually-impaired, by addressing and eliminating the intense and pervasive social stigma against disabilities--a stigma that is embodied by both the individuals with the disability and society. This social stigma leads to a lack of inclusion and an abundance of untapped potential that prevents YWDs from being able to contribute to and be engaged in their communities, receive proper education or training, or believe that they, themselves, can be changemakers of their society. By providing basic blindness skills training, educational and recreational programs where blind and sighted youth learn and play together, and integrated spaces where blind and sighted youth can work side by side serving their communities, ETI strives to give blind youth the tools and confidence to determine their own futures and impact the world around them.

Globally, an estimated one billion people live with a disability. Even though 1 out of 7 people have a disability, persons with disabilities, on average, are most likely to experience adverse socioeconomic outcomes, less education, and fewer employment rates in comparison to persons without a disability. Of the 285 million visually impaired in the world, an estimated 19 million are children. Only 2% of the visually impaired are educated. This lack of education feeds into the narrative of inability and low expectations that reinforce the stigma that surrounds disability and dis-empowers youth who desire to contribute.

If we provide blind youth with the necessary emotional support system, life skills that foster independence, and opportunities for experiencing integrated settings with sighted youth, we will be able to empower blind youth with the skills to equip them to be authors of their futures and change makers in their society. Inclusive education [and spaces] has become a “hallmark of quality education,” and the reason why the available literature emphasizes on: “processes and practices to facilitate inclusion, such as curriculum...partnership with parents, the roles of professionals, and school change” (Lim & Ireland, 2010, p.314).

Our impact is broad because our approach is holistic. We tackle the issue on multiple levels, from the individual youth, to their parents, to members of the local community including teachers, employers, officials, and civic leaders. This creates systemic change, and ultimately alters prevailing narratives around blindness and disability.  The direct impact of our programs is most apparent among the youth participants, both visually-impaired and sighted, their families, and the volunteers. After completing the project cycle, youth are able to independently and confidently live their lives and describe their plans to achieve future aspirations.

80% of youth with visual impairment will utilize the skills gained in their daily life.

- 95% of youth with visual impairment will indicate an increase in their self-confidence. - Youth with visual impairment will be able to live an independent lives in the areas of Orientation and Mobility, daily life skills and technology.

- 80% of all youth participants will integrate with

one another in the designed activities included in the curriculum

- sighted and visually

impaired will integrate, accept and develop a true value of inclusion during the Camp Rafiqi program

-By the end of the Life skills program, 75% of youth with visual impairment will be able to perform 70% of the tasks independently.

-By the end of the first week of Camp Rafiqi, 60% of youth participants will master the skills taught in the modules - To contribute to empowering

youth with visual impairment, by improving their market-oriented technical, entrepreneurial and managerial skills, in addition to building their confidence, giving them the required skills to improve their access to resources

Although there are a number of organizations that aim to empower youth with disabilities, build the capacity of spaces to be more inclusive, and engage youth from various backgrounds to break down barriers, ETI is one of few that aims to carry out all three simultaneously from a holistic and societal perspective versus focusing on the technical and services aspect of inclusion.

On a more practical level, in Lebanon, ETI is the only organization that provides life skill training for the visually impaired. Life skill and cane training is a critical key to independence for visually impaired youth.

At ETI we target the person, not the obstacles. We prefer an individualistic, one-on-one interaction with each student. Our perspective is unique to the market because we address the problem by looking through the eyes of the actual person instead of focusing on what general resources they need in specific sectors. As such, all of our programs from those that are with and without technology, all ensure that the people are at the core of what we develop. Particularly with disability and universal design, it is essential to ensure accessibility from the very beginning.

We intentionally interact with our stakeholders in the community and through methods that have the greatest ability to see long-term sustainability outside of ETI as opposed to operating independently of existing institutions.  As such, we have begun partnerships with the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Education to institutionalize ETI’s programs within existing entities. These include 30 mainstream schools and the Social Development Centers (These are physical centers throughout the country that are a coordination focal point for a large number of NGOs for the provision of services, as well as the execution of social activities).

In order to ensure fiscal sustainability, ETI strives to ensure that the funding sources are diverse. The main sources of income include our revenue generating program: Integration programs (http://www.etivision.org/integration-programs/), ETI Visionaries (our monthly supporters, which will increase each year and provide sustainable, yearly income), ETI’s Annual Gala, multiyear grants, major donors, ETI Center membership fees, and in-kind support. Partnerships with universities and local Municipalities for Program Consulting Workshops and the Community Celebration ensure a localized and diverse funding source as well.

Youth acquisition - The most vulnerable often live in rural areas. As such, many are not included in national data, meaning that they are essentially invisible and cannot be recruited through standard channels.

Sustainable funding - Unfortunately, funding bodies and donors tend to focus on topics, such as refugees or women empowerment, failing to recognize that persons with disabilities are the most vulnerable within these groups.

Human Capital - Outside of ETI’s programs, Orientation and Mobility training does not exist in Lebanon and so we must send trainers from the United States. This is not ideal and is expensive.

http://www.etivision.org/annual-report

https://www.facebook.com/ETIntegration/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38Rb4fWM3zI

ETI is at a critical point. We have expanded our programs to two communities in Lebanon and have begun to be known as experts on disability and social inclusion. However, I recognize that this is only the tip of the iceberg. Tackling the social stigma against disability is a mission that takes years to accomplish and requires a strong staff and sustainable funding. Solve would be a game-changer for ETI. The award and expansive resources would allow ETI to further expand our reach in Lebanon/MENA to reach the most vulnerable youth living in the rural areas and refugee camps.

The following entities partner with us with varying levels of scope from recruitment to program collaboration, such as the Social Project Program: The American University of Beirut, the Lebanese American University, Beirut Municipality, Ministries of Education and Social Affairs (ongoing), AIESEC, Ruwwad Al Tanmiya, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNRWA, and local schools. 

Youth Association for the Blind (YAB)