Synscenter Refsnæs
Synscenter Refsnæs is Denmark's national special pedagogical resource and knowledge center for children and young people with visual impairment, including blindness, funded by Region Sjælland and operating nationwide through VISO counseling, boarding facilities, schools, and braille material production.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1898
- HeadquartersKalundborg, Denmark
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Synscenter Refsnæs does
Synscenter Refsnæs is a Danish national special pedagogical resource and knowledge center for children and young people aged 0–17 with visual impairment, including blindness. Founded in 1898 and headquartered in Kalundborg under Region Sjælland, it operates as a publicly funded non-profit institution with 51–100 employees, holding a statutory designation as the country's sole national provider in this niche. Its service portfolio comprises five integrated lines: Specialrådgivning (nationwide VISO counseling under Social- og Boligstyrelsen), Skole og uddannelse (Børneskole, Efterskole, and STU programs built on the proprietary 'De udvidede læringsmål' methodology), Botilbud (five residential facilities plus the Efterskole boarding school), Materialeproduktion (braille books, tactile materials, and the Biblus digital library), and Viden og udvikling (Vidensblik knowledge publication and inclusive curriculum projects such as 'Læring i øjenhøjde').
The underlying technology stack is non-AI and content-driven rather than platform-driven. Core capabilities include braille production, tactile material design, accessible digital content formatting, and ICT consulting, with the Mediateket e-commerce storefront and the Biblus digital library acting as the distribution interfaces for pedagogical aids and downloadable school materials. Strategic partnerships with DTHS, UC Syddanmark, IBOS, Dansk Skoleidræt, Parasport Danmark, and Statens Kunstfond support curriculum development and professional training, while a podcast series and Vidensblik newsletter serve as content channels.
Synscenter Refsnæs is funded through regional public financing under Region Sjælland, with services billed to referring Danish municipalities via published Takster 2026 rate schedules. The go-to-market motion is community-led and institutional: referrals flow from municipal vision consultants and the VISO visitation process, and demand is structurally anchored rather than commercially generated. Customer segments include visually impaired children and their families, Danish municipalities and their vision consulting staff, professional educators in vision pedagogy, and broader mainstream schools adopting inclusive materials developed by the institution.
Synscenter Refsnæs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Synscenter Refsnæs
- Legal name
- Synscenter Refsnæs
- Website
- https://synref.dk
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1898
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Synscenter Refsnæs is Denmark's national special pedagogical resource and knowledge center for children and young people with visual impairment, including blindness, funded by Region Sjælland and operating nationwide through VISO counseling, boarding facilities, schools, and braille material production.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Synscenter Refsnæs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Special Education Services for Visual Impairment
- NAICS
- Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Deaf/Hard of Hearing & Vision Services (Audiology, Interpreting, Orientation & Mobility) (EDAJAKAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Accessible & Alternative Format Materials (Braille, Large Print, Audio, Tactile Graphics) (EDAGAMAD), Assistive Technology (AT) & Accessible Learning Tools (EDALAGAB), Accessibility, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) & Inclusive Content Services (EDAGAKAJ), Accessibility & Special Needs Equipment (Assistive Devices, Adaptive Furniture, Sensory Rooms) (EDAEAIAM), IEP/IFSP-Aligned Curriculum & Lesson Materials (EDAGAMAA)
Keywords
Where Synscenter Refsnæs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kalundborg
- HQ country
- Denmark
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Synscenter Refsnæs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Public Institutional Funding: As a public institution under Region Sjælland, Synscenter Refsnæs is funded through regional public financing. The organization receives funding from the Danish government via Region Sjælland and operates as part of VISO (Social- og Boligstyrelsen) nationwide counseling services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Public service rates for municipal referrals |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Synscenter Refsnæs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Synscenter Refsnæs provides specialized pedagogical, educational, residential, and counseling services for children and young people aged 0–17 with visual impairment, including blindness, across Denmark. As the national VISO KaS supplier under Social- og Boligstyrelsen and an institution under Region Sjælland, it delivers the country's only efterskole for visually impaired students, five residential facilities (Botilbud), the Børneskole, STU youth education, nationwide special counseling, Braille and tactile material production, and the Biblus digital library.
Product overview
Synscenter Refsnæs is Denmark's national special pedagogical resource and knowledge center for children and young people with visual impairments, including blindness. The organization operates as a unified portfolio of interconnected services under Region Sjælland, comprising five core offerings: Specialrådgivning (specialized national counseling), Skole og uddannelse (specialized school programs including Børneskole, Efterskolen boarding school, and STU youth education), Botilbud (five residential care facilities), Materialeproduktion (Braille book production, tactile materials, and the Biblus digital library), and Viden og udvikling (knowledge development including the Vidensblik publication, De udvidede læringsmål methodology, and the Læring i øjenhøjde educational program). The Mediateket serves as the centralized ordering system for all pedagogical aids and materials. Services are delivered nationwide through collaboration with municipal visual consultants and communication centers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Botilbud: Residential care facilities including Birkehuset, Egehuset, Fløjen, Botilbud Stausgård, and Efterskolen (boarding school)
- Børneskole
- Efterskole
- STU (Særligt tilrettelagt ungdomsuddannelse)
- Specialrådgivning
- Mediateket
- Biblus
- Videns- og Udviklingsenheden
Products and services
- Specialrådgivning (Special Counseling) A national special counseling service for children and young people aged 0–17 with visual impairment, including blindness. Operates as a VISO KaS supplier under Social- og Boligstyrelsen, providing individual assessment, special counseling, group programs, and school student courses in collaboration with municipal vision consultants across Denmark.
- Botilbud (Residential Care Facilities) Five specialized residential care facilities (Birkehuset, Egehuset, Fløjen, Botilbud Stausgård, and Efterskolen) plus trial apartments and individual employment offerings providing 24-hour care for children, young people, and adults with visual impairments in Kalundborg. Operates under the Danish Socialtilsyn Øst quality model.
- Skole og uddannelse (School and Education) Highly specialized teaching and education programs including Børneskole (children's school), Efterskolen (Denmark's only boarding school for students with serious visual impairment), and STU (Særligt tilrettelagt ungdomsuddannelse / Special Youth Education), delivered using the De udvidede læringsmål (Extended Learning Goals) methodology and approved by PPR.
- Materialeproduktion (Material Production) In-house production of educational materials in accessible formats, including Braille books (full text and abbreviated), writable e-books in Word, tactile materials (games, tactile drawings, maps), and accessible national exam formats. Operates the Biblus digital library and graphic production services for children and young people with visual impairment.
- Mediateket (Media Library and Ordering Platform) Media library for ordering pedagogical aids, publications, games, and accessible materials (Braille, tactile, and digital) produced by Synscenter Refsnæs. Serves as the centralized online storefront connecting the organization's material production with educators, municipalities, and families across Denmark.
- Læring i øjenhøjde (Inclusive Teaching Materials Program) An educational program developing inclusive teaching materials in Danish, Mathematics, Physical Education, and Music for primary school students with serious visual impairment, including blindness. Includes course-specific teaching guides, video materials, podcasts, and downloadable lesson plans, developed with partners such as Dansk Skoleidræt, Videnscenter for handicap, Parasport Danmark, and funded by Statens Kunstfond and the Ministry of Children and Education.
- Kurser (Professional Courses) Educational courses and professional development programs for vision consultants, special education teachers, and students in the Danish Diploma in Vision Pedagogy and Vision (Re)habilitation. Includes mentor programs covering ADL (Activities of Daily Living) and O&M (Orientation and Mobility), group courses at Stausgård, and individual counseling sessions.
- Visitation (Referral Services) Referral and assessment services for school enrollment, residential care, and special counseling. A multidisciplinary team handles referrals and assesses the needs of each child or young person to determine appropriate placement in Synscenter Refsnæs's programs, in cooperation with municipal vision consultants.
Quantifiable outcome
- Denmark's only efterskole for students with visual impairment
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Synscenter Refsnæs
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Synscenter Refsnæs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Synscenter Refsnæs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Region SjællandcoreSynscenter Refsnæs is a public institution under Region Sjælland (Region Zealand), receiving public funding and administrative support through the regional government structure.
- VISO i Social- og BoligstyrelsencoreSynscenter Refsnæs operates as a VISO KaS (National Special Advisory Service) supplier for Social- og Boligstyrelsen (Social and Housing Agency), providing nationwide special counseling for children and young people with visual impairment.
- Statens Kunstfond (Danish Arts Foundation)minorMusic education development project supported by funding from Statens Kunstfond, developing inclusive music teaching courses for educational settings with students with serious visual impairment including blindness.
- DTHS (Danske Tale-, Høre og Synsinstitutioner)coreCollaborative partnership with DTHS for knowledge development and sharing, including the 'Sammen om Punktskrift' (Together About Braille) publication and national knowledge sharing initiatives.
- UC Syddanmark and IBOSminorEducational partnership providing practical mentorship for students in the Danish Diploma in Vision Pedagogy and Vision (Re)habilitation. Synscenter Refsnæs provides mentors on modules 3 and 4 covering ADL (daily living) and O&M (Orientation and Mobility).
- Dansk Skoleidræt (Danish School Sports)minorCollaboration on the 'Læring i øjenhøjde' (Learning at Eye Level) project, using Dansk Skoleidræt's Activity Wheel and educational models for inclusive physical education.
- Videnscenter for handicap og Parasport DanmarkminorPartnership in the development of inclusive teaching materials, contributing to the 'Alle børn med i idrætsfaget' (All Children in Physical Education) initiative.
- Styrelsen for Undervisning og Kvalitet (Ministry of Education)coreCollaboration with the Ministry of Education on inspection and quality assurance, including approval from PPR (Educational and Psychological Counseling) for teaching programs.
- Municipal Communication CenterscoreNationwide network of municipal communication centers and vision counseling services that Synscenter Refsnæs collaborates with to provide local services to children with visual impairment.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Synscenter Refsnæs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- IBOS — Instituttet for Blinde og Svagsynede: Danish national institution for blind and partially sighted, offering counseling, education, and assistive technology across age groups. Closest direct peer — operates in the same Danish regulatory ecosystem (VISO) and serves overlapping populations, though IBOS focuses more on adults and assistive technology while Synscenter Refsnæs specializes in children.
- Perkins School for the Blind: Historic US institution (founded 1829) providing K-12 education, residential programs, and teacher training for students with visual impairment, including deafblind services. Closest international functional peer — operates children's school, boarding, teacher preparation, and assistive technology programs analogous to Synscenter Refsnæs's Børneskole/Efterskole/STU and Diploma mentorship roles.
- Royal National College for the Blind (RNC): UK college for visually impaired students aged 16+, offering further education, independent living skills, and residential programs. Analogous to Synscenter Refsnæs's Efterskole and Botilbud offerings — specialized residential education for young people with vision impairment — though RNC focuses on post-16 further education rather than K-12 and STU.
- American Printing House for the Blind (APH): US nonprofit producing accessible educational materials, braille textbooks, and assistive products for K-12 students with visual impairment, including federally funded distribution to schools. Direct peer to Synscenter Refsnæs's Materialeproduktion/Mediateket/Biblus — both produce accessible-format curriculum materials and serve as national clearinghouses for braille and tactile educational content.
Regional players
- Statped: Norwegian government's national service for special needs education, providing specialized teaching materials, counseling, and competence development across multiple disability categories. Comparable operating model — publicly funded national resource center delivering inclusive education services and accessible materials — but serves Norway and broader disability populations rather than Danish children with vision impairment specifically.
- SPSM — Specialpedagogiska skolmyndigheten: Swedish national agency producing accessible teaching materials (including braille, sign language, easy-read) and supporting inclusive education. Closest Nordic counterpart to Synscenter Refsnæs's Materialeproduktion, Biblus, and Mediateket activities, though SPSM also covers hearing and other disabilities and operates in Sweden.
Others
- Humanware: Global manufacturer of assistive technology for blind and low-vision users (braille displays, notetakers, magnifiers, GPS). Comparable to Synscenter Refsnæs's assistive technology and ICT consulting work, but operates as a commercial product vendor rather than an educational service provider — relevant as a technology supplier and indirect ecosystem participant rather than a direct service competitor.
- DTHS — Danske Tale-, Høre- og Synsinstitutioner: Danish umbrella organization for institutions serving people with speech, hearing, and vision impairments. Direct collaborative partner to Synscenter Refsnæs (e.g., 'Sammen om Punktskrift'), DTHS is not a competitor but an ecosystem enabler that coordinates knowledge sharing across Danish disability institutions and amplifies the center's national reach.
Broad incumbents
- Lighthouse Guild: US nonprofit delivering vision rehabilitation, behavioral health, education, and assistive technology services across all ages. Overlaps with Synscenter Refsnæs on accessible education and assistive technology but operates at a much broader scale and serves the full lifespan rather than focusing exclusively on children and youth.
- Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB): Major UK charity providing advocacy, information, accessible products, and services across the full life span of people with vision impairment. Comparable to Synscenter Refsnæs in mission scope (knowledge dissemination, accessible content, advocacy) but operates UK-wide, serves all age groups, and has a broader welfare/advocacy mandate beyond children's education.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Synscenter Refsnæs social profiles
Digital presenceSynscenter Refsnæs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Synscenter Refsnæs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Synscenter Refsnæs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Synscenter Refsnæs M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Synscenter Refsnæs
What does Synscenter Refsnæs do?
Synscenter Refsnæs provides specialized pedagogical, educational, residential, and counseling services for children and young people aged 0–17 with visual impairment, including blindness, across Denmark. As the national VISO KaS supplier under Social- og Boligstyrelsen and an institution under Region Sjælland, it delivers the country's only efterskole for visually impaired students, five residential facilities (Botilbud), the Børneskole, STU youth education, nationwide special counseling, Braille and tactile material production, and the Biblus digital library.
Is Synscenter Refsnæs a public or private company?
Synscenter Refsnæs is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Synscenter Refsnæs founded?
Synscenter Refsnæs was founded in 1898. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Synscenter Refsnæs based?
Synscenter Refsnæs is headquartered in Kalundborg, Denmark, in the Europe region.
How does Synscenter Refsnæs make money?
One revenue line is on record: public Institutional Funding.
Who are Synscenter Refsnæs's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are IBOS — Instituttet for Blinde og Svagsynede, Perkins School for the Blind, Royal National College for the Blind (RNC) and American Printing House for the Blind (APH). Regional players are Statped and SPSM — Specialpedagogiska skolmyndigheten. Others are Humanware and DTHS — Danske Tale-, Høre- og Synsinstitutioner. Broad incumbents are Lighthouse Guild and Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).
Does Synscenter Refsnæs have an API?
No public API is recorded for Synscenter Refsnæs.
What industry is Synscenter Refsnæs in?
Synscenter Refsnæs's product category is Special Education Services for Visual Impairment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAKAI, Deaf/Hard of Hearing & Vision Services (Audiology, Interpreting, Orientation & Mobility), with a secondary code of EDAGAMAD, Accessible & Alternative Format Materials (Braille, Large Print, Audio, Tactile Graphics). Its NAICS code is 624120 and its SIC code is 8200.