Left behind in the dark: The struggles of visually impaired students in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, generations of visually impaired students have been learning through an outdated and insufficient system. Photo: TBS

On the first day of this year's SSC exams in Chattogram, seven visually impaired students waited anxiously at their school gates. But minutes before the exam was supposed to start, their hopes were shattered.

Their scribes, carefully chosen and prepared, were rejected by the administration. The policy required scribes to be students of class eight or below and under the age of 18. The students had  brought university-level scribes.

"No one told us," said Md Jasim, a guardian of one of the students. "My wife and elder son visited the school several times. They never said anything about this rule. And then, at the last moment, we were left helpless."

This one incident, heartbreaking as it is, is a reflection of a much larger issue. For years, visually impaired students in Bangladesh have been quietly pushed aside by an education system that has failed to see them.

The National Survey on Persons with Disabilities 2021 reports that 1.7% of children in Bangladesh live with one of the 12 types of disabilities defined in the Persons with Disability Rights and Protection Act 2013.

Furthermore, 3.6% face functional difficulty in at least one domain such as seeing, hearing, walking, fine motor skills, communication, learning, playing or controlling behaviour.

No one is taking full responsibility

Sabrina Sultana, the founder and president of Krishty and an active member of the Movement for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, has been working relentlessly to address the gaps in the education system for visually impaired students in Bangladesh. 

"Visually impaired people mostly learn through Braille," she explains. "Just as the Bangla Academy updates the language, Braille needs regular updates too."

This is a global practice, but here in Bangladesh, there has been no update to the Braille system since 1994. As a result, generations of students have been learning through an outdated and insufficient system.

She draws attention to several pressing issues in the country's education system that require immediate reform. For years, visually impaired students have faced significant challenges, particularly in subjects like Science and Mathematics, due to missing Braille notations for essential symbols, such as omega, phi, graphs, tables etc, leading to confusion and limiting their academic progress. 

To address these gaps, Krishty's team developed new, standardised Braille notations, marking a major step forward in making education more inclusive. The government officially approved these notations in November 2024, but there is still a major hurdle.

"We still haven't received the print guidelines or seen any updates on the government website," Sabrina says. "Without these, the new notations can't be used in textbooks, not even in 2026."

Sabrina also emphasises the lack of proper teacher training for educating visually impaired students. While organisations like the Jatiyo Protibondhi Unnayan Foundation (JPUF) and the Department of Social Services (DSS) are supposed to provide teacher training, they offer no training on Braille or teaching methods tailored for visually impaired students.

In fact, there are no dedicated training programmes at all. Even the National Academy for Primary Education (NAP), which provides general teacher training, does not include any focus on teaching students with visual disabilities.

This issue continues to be passed from one authority to another; from the DSS to the Ministry of Social Welfare, no one is fully taking ownership. As a result, where the responsibility for providing specialised education and training to teachers of visually impaired students falls remains unresolved, leaving the system in a state of confusion and neglect.

Education becomes three times more expensive

For visually impaired students in Bangladesh, the path to education is fraught with obstacles, many of which are not just difficult, but nearly impossible to overcome. While education is a right for students, it becomes a privilege for them. Sabrina Sultana remarks, "Braille paper is thicker and if a normal book costs Tk100, the Braille version costs three times that."

Despite efforts by the government to address this, it is still a constant struggle. In 2017, the government began distributing free Braille books for primary and secondary education. It was a hopeful step forward, providing some relief to families burdened by the costs of educational materials. However, this initiative only scratches the surface.

Once students advance beyond the free books, the financial strain becomes unbearable. The extremely high cost of Braille materials forces many students to drop out when they can no longer afford them.

According to the National Survey on Persons with Disabilities 2021, conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics with support from UNICEF, 60% of children with disabilities are not enrolled in any form of education.

Of those who are enrolled, only 65% attend primary school, and a mere 35% progress to secondary school. Even though Bangladesh boasts a nearly 97% primary school enrolment rate, only 41% of children with disabilities are enrolled at the primary level. By the time these children reach secondary school, the number drops to just 24%.

This stark difference highlights the deep-rooted gaps in accessibility and support for students with disabilities, leaving many behind before they even have a chance to reach higher education.

When higher education feels out of reach

For those who manage to reach college and university levels, the hurdles become even more overwhelming. A study conducted by the Youth Engagement in Democracy (YED) project of Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF), in collaboration with Global Research and Marketing (GRM) and the Visually Impaired Peoples Society (VIPS), revealed shocking statistics.

Some 75.36% of visually impaired students are held back by the high cost of assistive technology, essential tools like screen readers, magnifiers, or digital Braille devices that can transform how they learn.

And 92.96% do not have access to accessible study materials. This means textbooks are not available in Braille, audio, or digital formats that work with screen readers, leaving many to depend on classmates, volunteers, or family members just to keep up.

Equally troubling is that 91.55% believe there is a severe lack of trained teachers. Most teachers have never received any training on how to teach students with visual impairments, and many are unaware of the challenges these students face daily. As a result, lessons often go on without accommodations, and students are left struggling in silence.

For many, the digital divide is an insurmountable barrier, with 97% relying on others to complete online admission processes due to inaccessible platforms. Around 90% of university websites remain out of reach for visually impaired students, further compounding the difficulties they face.

This lack of understanding and preparation leaves students feeling ignored and unimportant in a system that was never designed with them in mind, creating additional barriers to participation, learning, and independence.

Call for action

The reality is that Bangladesh is failing its visually impaired students. These young people, with dreams of becoming doctors, teachers, scientists, and leaders, are being held back by a system that refuses to adapt to their needs.

Their journey through education seems to be a relentless fight against barriers, and yet, they keep going. But how far can courage and determination carry them when the system itself stands in the way?

How many more dreams must be delayed or outright denied before we accept that inclusive education is not a luxury, but a necessity?