Information in English
 

ASSISTANSE – A PARENT ORGANISATION FOR VISUAL IMPAIRED CHILDREN.

Introduction

ASSISTANSE is a Norwegian  parent organisation for visual impaired children between 0 and 20 years.  ASSISTANSE’s main activities are:

-         Create social network between visual impaired children and parents in Norway

-         Provide information about visually impaired children and their parents, legal rights and possibilities for help and support.

-         Arrange courses, information meetings and social events in order to enable the visual impaired children, their parents and other members of the family to meet and learn from each other how to handle the particular problems they as families are faced with.

-         Provide information to the authorities and others about the visually impaired children’s situation in Norway

-         Liaise and cooperate with authorities and institutions involved with visually impired children to assure that they provide the services required.

The way we work.

ASSISTANSE was established in 1970. Today the organisation has  550 members.

ASSISTANSE has a board consisting of one leader and 6 members who are responsible for management of the organisation.  The leader is elected for 1 year and  the  board members are elected for 2 years at the time.  A secretary is employed part time to take care of administrative matters.

Economical support to run the organisation is mainly received from the authorities, but also from other sources and by membership fees.

Our different committees have been formed to handle various tasks. These are:

-         The Course Committee is responsible for planning and execution of our yearly 3 days parent courses witch are held in  South- and Northern Norway.  The courses gather in total 150 parents and 50 professionals.

-         The Computer Technology Committee keeps themselves updated about the latest development within computer technology for visual impaired children and organise computer technology exhibitions at the yearly 3 days parents courses.

-         The senior member Committee is working with the problems associated with the transition from youth to adult for visual impaired.  The main subjects they are dealing with are “how to get work, a flat to live in and a satisfactory social life”.

-         The Deaf Blind Committee is organising special courses, meetings and other relevant for this group.

-         The  Spielmeyer Vogt Committee is organising special courses, meetings and others relevant for this group.

ASSISTANSE is also issuing the magazine NOTATER four times a year.  The magazine provides information to our members about the latest within the various areas concerning visually impaired children as well as what is happening in ASSISTANSE around in Norway

Local activities.

ASSISTANSE has 17 local organisations around Norway.  They organize meetings and social events where the main purpose is to develop local social network between families having visually impaired children. Pending support from local authorities, normally 2 to 4 one day meetings and 1 to 2 weekend meetings at hotels take place.

Information books

One of the main priorities of ASSISTANSE is to provide information to parents, authorities and professionals about the visual impaired children.

-          Visually impaired children between 0 – 7 years.

-          Visually impaired children in school.

-          Visually impaired in high school and university.

-          Parents feelings by getting visually impaired children.

-          Social activities for visually impaired children and youths.

-          Being sisters and brothers to visually impaired children.

Cooperation with authorities.

ASSISTANSE works close with the authorities an other institutions providing services to our visually impaired children.  As parents we wish to obtain the best possible services.  We therefore on a regular basis analyse the work carried out by the institutions and identifiy areas where improvements are required.

The Norwegian authorities initiated a few years ago regular meetings where we can meet with the relevant institutions and discuss matters that concerns us.  We are, for example, meeting the management of the National Resource Centres For Visually Impaired several times yearly.

Parents as a resource.

In Norway the visually impaired children are integrated in the local school classes with seeing pupils.  In order to assist the children in a satisfactory manner in connection with their homework and other activities, it is important that the parents are adequately trained.  ASSISTANSE is therefore putting a lot of emphasize into that also the parents, where applicable, shall attend together with their children at training courses at the National Resource Centres for Visual Impaired and other institutions to learn the necessary skills.

Create social network.

In Norway there are only about 110 persons between 0 and 19 years using braille.  They are scattered all over the country. In total there are about 5000 visually impaired children.

As described above. The visually impaired children are integrated in classes with seeing pupils.  The advantage with this is that it allows a normal family life because the children are coming home every day.  The children are playing with others of the same kind, they are no longer the outsiders amongst those who see.  The parents are exchanging experiences and feelings about having visually impaired children.  By this friendships and social networks are built.  This is ASSISTANSE’s most important activity.