The Divine Light Trust for the Blind has a long and impressive history.

• 1958 :First Non Government Organization (NGO) in the state of Karnataka, South India, for education and rehabilitation of children with visual impairment.

• 1960 :Promoted awareness of education of girls with disabilities. 

• 1964 :The first batch of visually impaired students appear for the VII^th  standard district level public examination.

• 1967:Divine Light Trust grows into a full fledged high school for the visually impaired. 

• 1974 :Orientation and mobility (O&M) enters the curriculum of the school. This is the  first of its kind in India for schools for children with visual impairment. The first lady O&M instructor came from the Divine Light Trust. Again the first in India staff development program. The management decides on O&M instructors training for all the sighted staff members. The first in India. 

• 1975: The International Year of Disabled Persons (IYDP) had its influence. It was the end of isolation for handicapped children.  

• 1981:The national policy resolution on education recommends the placement of handicapped children in ordinary schools. 

• 1982: DLTB is the first institution to begin with integrated education of children with visual impairment in ordinary schools. 

• 1983: DLTB gets a first fully trained resource teacher M. Ed on the staff to promote integrated education as per the government of India resolution. The integrated education program was expanded with 30 children with visual impairment distributed in ten different schools in Bangalore. 

• 1984:Commencement of low vision services at the campus. 

• 1984:Teacher training program for integrated education of the visually handicapped. 

• 1985 :DLTB deputes three of its core staff for specialized training at USA, Australia, and Europe. 

• 1986:Teacher training program secured permanent recognition from the government of Karnataka, India. (Vide. Order Number ED 170 MHS 85, Bangalore, 10^th. January 1986). 

• 1987:Beginning of services for children with multiple disabilities, blindness with mental retardation. 

• 1988: Services for preparing children with visual impairment and low  vision for integrated education. This facility is used by Non Government Organization (NGO) and others to prepare visually impaired children for integration. 

• 1989 :Start of summer camps for integrated students to provide intense inputs in Braille and Mobility. 

• 1990: Continuing education programs for teachers trained at this center, beginning with a foundation course for integrated education of speech and hearing impaired children.

• 1991: To strengthen the section for training visually impaired children with mental retardation. DLTB deputes one of its staff for training as teacher of children with mental retardation. 

• 1994: DLTB begins a one year multi category teacher training program as per the National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT) Syllabus. 

• 1995: Introduction of computers for persons with visual impairment. 

• 1997: In the 50^th year of Independence DLTB has emerged as a resource center providing the following services:

-          preparatory services for integrated education.

-          Low vision services.

-          Services for multiple disabilities.

-          Diploma course for integrated education for visually handicapped.

-          Outreach services to students in integrated education.

-          Community based rehabilitation (CBR)

-          Services to children with deaf blindness.

-          Computer training for persons with visual impairment.

-          Home bound program for families with disabled members.

-          Parent training program to care for children with disabilities.

-          Outreach programs in villages.

-          Program for prevention of disabilities.

       -          Training in Horticulture and Tailoring for single and multi-disabled Pupils. 

• 1998: DLTB completes 40 years of pioneering services for the welfare of the disabled. 

• 1999: RCI bridge course for in service candidates for government and non-government-organizations. 

• 2000: Computer training program for the visually impaired and hearing impaired children. 

• 2001: Workshop on providing services for persons with visual impairment and additional disabilities. 

• 2002 & 2003: Conducting Training Programmes for Teachers deputed by the government - ‘District Primary Education  Programme (DPEP) 

• 2004: Workshop on ‘Strengthening Services at DLTB’ 

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Last modified: 04/26/06