Losing your vision should never have to mean losing your independence or holding you back from doing the things you love to do. There are very few opportunities for blind and visually impaired people in Ethiopia to develop their talent in ways that can lead to specific jobs. Today the blind and visually impaired students are not admitted to higher education for musicians in Ethiopia, as schools do not feel adequately equipped to accommodate students with special needs.
The Inner Vision project was carried out by Selam and partners in a bid to raise the level of participation of the blind in Ethiopia’s music industry. The ethos of Inner Vision was simple: we believe that with proper encouragement, guidance, and resources, every person has the ability to develop his or her full potential and to flourish. The project removed barriers to music education for the visually impaired and the blind, and raised the level of understanding and willingness in society to carry out the necessary investments to allow visually impaired and blind youth to pursue a career in music.