CENTER FOR EDUCATION & REHABILITATION FOR THE BLIND
Our main and primary goal is the independence of people with visual impairments and their full integration into society.
CENTER FOR EDUCATION & REHABILITATION FOR THE BLIND
Center for Education and Rehabilitation for the Blind
The Center for Education and Rehabilitation for the Blind (CERB), with two Units in Athens and in Thessaloniki, provides services to visually impaired people of all ages, concerning education and rehabilitation, on a national level.
The main objective of the Center is the complete independence of the visually impaired person and his / her integration into society. With the appropriate training and support of our staff, and in an environment of mutual respect, the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of students, is aimed and promoted.
In more detail, the objectives of CERB are:
Information, support and training for families with visually impaired children, from their birth on.
Coverage and confrontation of educational, occupational and spiritual needs of visually impaired people.
Applied modern methods and educational programs – usage and provision of modern technology.
Establishment of appropriate permanent care units for people, who due to multiple disability or age, are excluded from rehabilitation programs.
Expertise for the consequences of blindness to the family and to society.
Research for the improvement of rehabilitation methods.
Fighting prejudices and eliminating social and legal obstacles, so as to offer equal opportunities and participation to the blind in all walks of life.
Through cooperation, proper training and access to technology, children can achieve whatever they want in their life.
We suggest that you contact us, as soon as possible.
History
The Centre for Education and Rehabilitation for the Blind (CERB), former “Home of the Blind”, was founded in 1906 by G. Drosini and D. Vikela, at the expense of Ampet brothers. Its initial cause was to protect the blind. Until 1979, it was a charitable association, chaired by the current Archbishop of Athens. In 1979, and after the hard struggles of the blind, it became Public Law Entity (under Presidential Decree 265 / 04.17.79, 74 / 04.17.1979) and renamed to Centre for Education and Rehabilitation for the Blind. It is supervised and funded by the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Welfare (Presidential Decree 85/2012, “Establishing and renaming ministries, transferring and cancellation of services” article 4 “the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Welfare 141 / 21.6.2012 vol. I).
In Thessaloniki, the “Protection Institution for the Blind - School for the Blind”, “Helios”, had been operating until 1947, when with the initiative of the charitable organization “Organization for the Protection of the Blind”, began to provide educational and social services to visually impaired people. In 2011, it was merged with CERB as a Regional Office / Administration of Thessaloniki.