Israel has the best rehabilitation services in the world for young children who are blind or visually handicapped. That glowing tribute was made this week by Prof. Natalie Barraga of the University of Texas, considered one of the foremost international authorities in the field of vision-development.
Prof. Barraga is one of the specialists attending an international symposium in Israel this week on “visually handicapped infants and young children,” the first such gathering of its kind on an international scale. Doctors, psychologists, social workers and rehabilitation teachers from 29 countries are attending the symposium at Kibbutz Shefayim near Herzliya.
In addition to hearing papers and discussing the latest medical and scientific advances in the field, the symposium participants spent time touring child rehabilitation centers throughout the country. As artistic relief in their heavy study program they watched troupes of blind and low vision Israeli children performing ballet and gymnastics on the lawns of the kibbutz.
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