ABSTRACT

The educational attempts for blinds started aproximately at the end of the 18th century. An impor-tant step of these attempts was "The Congress for amelioration of the life standards of blinds" that had been held in Brussels in 1902. The topics discussed in the above mentioned congress were published by Dr.Esat Bey, the representative of The Ottoman Empire, in the 11 September 1329 (24 September 1903) dated, no 648 offprint of the "Servet-i Fünun" magazine. Dr.Esat Bey also published some photographs about the education of blinds in the same newspaper. While responding to a question in the congress, he presented his personal experience and statistical results based on 30000 patients that he examined as an ophthalmologist in İstanbul in a duration of 9 years. The studies directed to the education of blinds were initiated after the experience obtained from this congress.

The Commitee of the Congress accepted to send a teacher from the School for Blinds of Brussels if a branch should be opened in Darülaceze. Dr.Esat Bey prepared a report including the results obtained from the Congress and had it presented to Sultan II.Abdülhamit with the aim of creating a school for blinds. A school was opened in Darülaceze and a land in Acıbadem was spared for the education of blinds, deaf and dumbs. But these could not be realized as the Sultan was taken down from throne and continuing wars.

In this study the details about the congress were translated from Ottoman language to Turkish and presented after purification. A brief history about the beginning attempts of the education of the blinds and its development in Turkey with the effect of Brussels congress are discussed.