After a decade of existence, Sense International (Romania) is proud to have accomplished a series of major achievements, such as supporting the Romanian authorities to set up the first ever services for deafblind people, having deafblindness recognised as a distinct disability by the Romanian legislation, developing ample screening, rehabilitation and educational programmes for children with multisensory impairments.


“When our work began, there were no services for deafblind people. The problems they were facing were unknown and there wasn’t even a word in the dictionary for this type of disability, let alone specific programmes for the identification or assessment of these deficiencies...” says Cristiana Salomie, director of Sense International (Romania).

The Early Intervention programme is developed in partnership with national and local authorities, kindergartens and schools. Sense International (Romania) has supported the hearing screening and visual testing of 27,000 newborn babies and very young children, ensuring their opportunity to benefit from diagnosis and counselling. After the screening / testing stage, SI(R) has been actively involved in providing solutions to the problems identified. Since the project started, 53 children have been diagnosed with sensory impairments and began an individualised rehabilitation programme within the Early Intervention Support Centres developed by SI(R) in Bucharest, Oradea and Timisoara. Three multidisciplinary teams consisting of 11 early intervention workers and 12 health specialists ensure the rehabilitation of deafblind children through a series of techniques and therapies.

The Education for Deafblind/Multisensory Impaired Children is developed in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Research, Youth and Sports. In 2010-2011 academic year, 140 deafblind/MSI children have been receiving specialised educational services in 15 Romanian state special schools. For the first time ever, a non-governmental organisation has trained, over the past 10 years, 85 special education teachers involved in the education of deafblind and multisensory impaired children. The programme provides these children with the opportunity to go to school and learn, using specific methods and techniques.

This programme was internationally acknowledged in 2009 by receiving two important awards during the ERSTE Foundation Social Integration Awards 2009: the Recognition Award and the Practitioners’ Award.

DEAFBLINDNESS is a combination of hearing and visual impairments, at various degrees of manifestation that dramatically affects communication, mobility and access to information. Deafblindness was recognised by the Romanian legislation as a distinct disability in 2006.
Since 2001, Sense International (Romania) has been working in partnership with others – deafblind people, their families, carers and professional – to ensure that everyone facing challenges because of deafblindness has access to advice, opportunities and support.

About Sense International (Romania) – SI(R) is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation, independent of any public or private institutions, with no political affiliation, established in 2001 and supported by the British organisation Sense International UK. SI(R) has become a key resource in the field of deafblindness in Romania, relying upon the deafblind child’s fundamental right to education and early intervention – an opportunity in the rehabilitation process. Sense International (Romania) vision is a world where deafblind children and adults can become active members of the society.