Cambodia's largely Buddhist society is characterized by a societal stigma against the physically handicapped. It is believed that a handicap is a divine punishment for evil acts committed in a previous life. Deaf or blind children are often discriminated against and are deprived of opportunities to access an education that would allow integration in society.

• To provide formal education to deaf and blind children by allowing them to communicate through the teaching of Braille's alphabets or sign language
• To integrate deaf and blind children into their local societies
• To educate parents, teachers, local authorities and the government on need for specialized education for deaf and blind children

Intervention area: Siem Reap, Kompong Cham, Phnom Penh and Battambang

• Facilitation, support and guidance of Aide et Action's partner Krousar Thmey (KT) by encouraging the creation of a monitoring process and program evaluation
• Advocacy for an improvement of the education system for deaf and blind children, at both the grassroots and policy levels
  

PARTNERS: Krousar Thmey and Community based Organization

• Creation of a Committee on Sign Language
• Launching of a national television programme in sign language
• Education of more than 1,023 deaf or blind children in specialized schools at
  the end of the year 2007
• Integration of 42 specialized education classes in Cambodia

Educational work with the local communities, both urban and rural, has raised awareness about the issues of educating children with disabilities. Local authorities and government are more aware of the problems involved in specialized education. Deaf and blind children can now build an optimistic future. Three blind students successfully passed their high school examinations in 2006 for the first time in Cambodia. Four more did in 2007