Teaching basic German skills to blind and visually impaired Ukrainian refugees

Blind and visually impaired people are particularly vulnerable to war. That is why the DBSV tries to help blind and visually impaired refugees to cope independently in their new environment in Germany.

(www.dbsv.org/ukraine)

Among other things, we offer them help in finding accommodation or provide them with the necessary disability-related aids such as long canes or Braille writing boards.For example, long canes or Braille writing tablets.

In addition, we offer them non-certified online German courses to teach them the basic skills they need to communicate in their new environment. For this purpose, we are currently looking for people who would like to help blind and visually impaired refugees learn German.

Could you imagine this?

You do not have to be a qualified German teacher. It is enough if you have advanced German skills and a desire to help other people learn German. However, it is important that you have at leastbasic knowledge of Ukrainian or Russian. Since the courses take place online and the participants are blind or visually impaired, visual communication, e.g. with the help of drawings or gestures, is impossible. Therefore, at least for the first steps, it is important that the person teaching can speak some Russian or Ukrainian.

We definitely offer support and also provide teaching materials if needed (digital, Braille or large print). There is also the possibility to exchange with the other people who are currently already offering such online courses and get advice from them.

The frequency and duration of the courses are determined by the engaged people themselves depending on their availability. Also the number of participants and the channel (e.g. via Zoom, Skype or Whatsapp).

At the moment we have 3 teachers offering regular courses for small groups. However, we have a waiting list of refugees who are also interested in learning German.

So if you are interested in helping us out or have any questions about what you can do, feel free to contact us. We are looking forward to you!

You do not have to be a qualified German teacher. It is enough if you have advanced German skills and a desire to help other people learn German. However, it is important that you have at least basic knowledge of Ukrainian or Russian language.

You need a computer or cell phone with internet access and the required app for the online course for this task (but you can specify it yourself. e.g. Zoom, WhatsApp...)

The commitment depends on your time capacities