KENYA INSTITUTE FOR THE BLIND

What KENYA INSTITUTE FOR THE BLIND does

Kenya Institute for the Blind (K.I.B.) is a government-affiliated national resource centre registered in February 2004 under Kenya's Ministry of Education Science and Technology. It operates the only national Braille library in Kenya, holding approximately 5,000 titles spanning all levels of education and multiple disciplines. Core operations are organized across six departments: Public Information Services, Administration, Educational Resources (Braille production and adaptation), Training, Rehabilitation and Placement, Policy, Outreach and Coordination of Services, and Supply Chain Management.

The institute delivers its services through a combination of physical and digital channels. At its Nairobi West headquarters, it runs a Braille printing press, thermoforming equipment, Perkins Braille machines, and brailler repair workshops. Services include Braille production, brailling and de-brailling of examination scripts for special-education colleges, thermoforming of tactile graphics, equipment repair, and provision of assistive devices. Rehabilitation and in-service training covers Braille literacy for blind persons, sighted support staff, and newly blinded individuals such as bomb blast victims, alongside orientation and mobility training. National reach is achieved through postal lending via the Kenya Post Office and institutional partnerships with schools and colleges; an online Students Referral System and Student Admission Application Form provide a digital front door.

The business model is government-funded public service rather than commercial revenue. Specific pricing is not disclosed; services are offered free or subsidized as part of a national mandate. There are no disclosed funding rounds, no venture capital, no M&A activity, and no patents or commercial IP. Customers are visually impaired learners, special-education institutions, educators, newly blinded adults, and the general Braille-reading public in Kenya — all served under a single ministry mandate that effectively anchors both demand and funding.

Name

KENYA INSTITUTE FOR THE BLIND

Legal name

Kenya Institute for the Blind

Website

https://keib.or.ke

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kenya Institute for the Blind is a government-designated National Braille Resource Centre under Kenya's Ministry of Education, operating the country's only national Braille library and providing Braille production, rehabilitation training, and assistive device services to visually impaired learners and institutions nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education and Rehabilitation Services for the Blind

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Libraries and Archives (51921), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Vision Assistive Technology (Screen Readers, Braille, Magnification) (EDAKAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) & Format Conversion (Braille, Large Print, DAISY) (EDAKAIAH), AT for Reading, Writing & Learning (Literacy/Executive Function) Tools & Training (EDAKAIAC), Accessible & Alternative Format Materials (Braille, Large Print, Audio, Tactile Graphics) (EDAGAMAD)

Keywords

• Braille library services
• Visual impairment rehabilitation
• Braille production services
• Assistive devices provision
• Special education resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government-funded Public Services: The institute operates as a government-registered National Braille Resource Centre under the Ministry of Education Science and Technology, providing free or subsidized services to persons with visual impairment. Revenue is derived from government funding rather than commercial operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Kenya Institute for the Blind operates as a government-affiliated National Braille Resource Centre that produces Braille and digital reading materials, provides rehabilitation and training for visually impaired persons, maintains the country's only national Braille library with approximately 5,000 titles, and delivers assistive devices, thermoforming, equipment repair, and examination brailling services to learners and persons with visual impairment across Kenya.

Product overview

Kenya Institute for the Blind operates as a National Braille Resource Center providing a unified portfolio of services for persons with visual impairment. The core offerings center on Braille Library Services (the only national Braille library in Kenya with approximately 5,000 titles), Braille Printing Press production, Rehabilitation and In-service Training, and Public Information Services. Additional services include Thermoforming, Brailler Repair and Maintenance, Braille Examination Scripts processing, Document Binding, and Braille Paper Distribution. The institute also provides assistive devices and maintains online platforms including a Students Referral System and Student Admission Application System. The organization does not operate as a technology product company but rather as an educational and rehabilitation service provider.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• CBM (Christian Blind Mission): CBM is an international development organization working on disability inclusion including visual impairment, often partnering with or funding national Braille and rehabilitation institutions like KIB in low- and middle-income countries.
• Perkins School for the Blind: Perkins is a globally recognized institution serving blind and visually impaired persons through education, Braille resources, and rehabilitation, broader in scope than KIB but anchored by similar Braille production and training capabilities.
• Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB): RNIB is the UK's leading charity for the blind, offering Braille production, library services, assistive devices, and rehabilitation — a broader but structurally similar portfolio to KIB's national resource-center mandate.

Direct peers

• LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired: LightHouse provides Braille and accessible media services, assistive technology, and rehabilitation training for blind persons, comparable in service mix to KIB's library, equipment, and rehabilitation offerings.
• National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS, Library of Congress): NLS provides a national Braille and audio library distributed by mail across the U.S., directly mirroring KIB's national Braille library and postal lending model for visually impaired readers.
• American Printing House for the Blind (APH): APH operates as a nonprofit producer of Braille books and accessible educational materials for visually impaired learners in the U.S., directly comparable to KIB's role as a national Braille production and library resource center.

Emerging players

• Sightsavers: Sightsavers operates in Kenya and other African countries delivering eye health, education, and disability inclusion programs, with overlapping focus on inclusive education for visually impaired learners.
• DAISY Consortium: The DAISY Consortium sets the global standard for digital accessible reading formats and supports accessible library infrastructures, representing the digital evolution that complements traditional Braille production centers like KIB.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kenya-institute-for-the-blind

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about KENYA INSTITUTE FOR THE BLIND