Country report of Lao

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Before 1989, blind and visually impaired people in Laos lived separately with no access to any social activity.  In 2002 a group of the blind formed themselves on the purpose to establish their own organisation and eventually it was registered by the Government in the name of Lao Division of the Blind.  The main purpose of this organisation was focusing on educational and vocational supports for people with visual disabilities in Laos.

In 2003, the first traditional massage training centre of the blind was established under Lao Division of the Blind.  The centre has been providing traditional massage training for only blind and visually impaired people.  The massage training course takes 6 months and after the examination all trainees have to practice what they learned by giving massage services to the public.  When the centre was opened, it could provide massage training for only 10 trainees in one year.

In 2007, Lao Association of the Blind (LAB) was officially established; since then the massage training of the centre became a vital activity of the association.  It has been supporting the blind and partially sighted people with access to a seemly career.  The traditional massage becomes the most popular occupation among groups of blind and partially sighted people.  Nowadays around 125 blind and visually impaired people from Vientiane Capital and provinces in Laos can generate income from giving massage services at 25 massage clinics around Vientiane Capital.

Presently the traditional massage is an only work making the blind and partially sighted self-subsisting.  Lao Association of the Blind is struggling to increase more careers for the blind and visually impaired who cannot be trained in traditional massage for some reasons but it seems difficult because of the limitation of human resources and premises.

The first traditional massage training centre has been showing its sustainability for 7 years; so why Lao Association of the Blind applied experiences got from the first training centre in 2 target provinces, Savannakhet and Luangprabang.  Lao Association of the Blind opened traditional massage training centres in the both provinces and used their addresses to apply for registration of LAB branches.  In 2008 LAB Savannakhet was officially established and in the beginning of 2010 LAB Luangprabang was recognised and registered by the Government.  Through these traditional massage training centres, blind members can survive and work for LAB provincial chapters.

Lao Association of the Blind aims to establish 2 provincial branches, one in the north and another in the south of Laos during 2011-2012, inescapably Lao Association of the Blind will use provincial massage training centres to initiate these local chapters.  The traditional massage is not only a career of the blind and visually impaired in Laos but it also helps LAB concerning the sustainability of its organisations at national and local levels.