Inside a Burmese School for the Blind

Three massage school students, seemingly detached from each other, enjoy a conversation while waiting on a teacher in one of the school’s training rooms. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy)

RANGOON — The Myanmar Christian Fellowship of the Blind runs a school in Rangoon that teaches vital life skills for the visually impaired, such as how to read Braille, use voice command computers, or complete day-to-day tasks taken for granted by others.

The fellowship serves students of all religions and ages. Its facility also offers massage training and teaches craft skills, such as basket weaving. The Irrawaddy photographer Steve Tickner visited recently and saw how the school provides students with a sense of community that helps break down the isolation often experienced by those with impaired vision.