Digital textbooks transform learning for Vietnam's visually impaired students

A visually impaired student in Vietnam has seen his grades soar thanks to accessible digital textbooks. Lê Đức Minh, a 10th grader at Nguyễn Đình Chiểu School, now studies independently using online resources instead of traditional Braille books. His success highlights the impact of a pilot programme making education more inclusive for students with disabilities. The accessible e-book initiative began in the 2024-25 school year. It first provided digital textbooks to 30 visually impaired students in five key subjects. By the 2025-26 academic year, the programme had expanded to 64 students from grades 6 to 9 at the same school.

Minh accesses his textbooks through *sachtiepcan.vn*, a dedicated website for visually impaired learners. With assistive apps, he can prepare lessons ahead of time and engage more in class discussions. His academic performance has since improved, placing him among the top five in his class. Nguyễn Thị Tuyết Mai, the school's principal, stresses the importance of IT training for students. The goal is to help them navigate learning materials without constant assistance. Former student Nguyễn Thị Diệu Linh also praised the programme, noting that image descriptions in geography textbooks were particularly clear and helpful. Nguyễn Đình Chiểu School is known as a leader in inclusive education across Vietnam. However, globally, less than 10% of published materials are accessible to people with disabilities. In developing countries, this figure can drop to as low as 1%.

The pilot programme has already shown positive results for students like Minh. With expanded access to digital textbooks, visually impaired learners gain greater independence in their studies. The initiative continues to grow, though broader adoption across Vietnam remains uncertain.