World Sight Day: persons with visual impairment tasks government on specialised schools, employment opportunities

To commemorate this year’s ‘World Sight Day’, celebrated every second Thursday in October, the Nigeria Association of the Blind (NAB), have tasked the government on the construction of more specialized schools for persons with visual impairment, while also calling for the creation of job opportunities.

The Co-ordinator of the Lagos State Chapter of NAB, Babatunde Mohammed, stated this on Thursday at a press briefing, which held at the chapter’s secretariat in Surulere Lagos.

Mohammed specifically called on the Lagos State Government to review the inclusive education system adopted by the state, saying the system has not been beneficial to persons with visual impairment.

Maintaining that the education of a visually impaired person is paramount, as such persons are limited in making career choices when not educated, Mohammed however, stated that factors such as proximity to school and availability of specialised stationaries like braille books, are also factors to consider.

“ What a blind person can do is limited, hence education is very important for the blind. The inclusion of the blind in government schools in Lagos has not been successful.

And there is no single specialised school in Lagos for the blind. The only primary school that used to be a specialised school for the blind, that was government-owned, has been transferred back to the Irish missionaries.

“ Because of this, the education of the blind in Lagos, have suffered a great setback due to the inclusive education system adopted by the government.

Inclusive schools are also not close to a lot of blind people. The stress of getting to the inclusive schools is also a factor to consider. So we still need special schools for the blind.”

On ways to reduces the cases of visual impairment in the country, the Lagos NAB Co-ordinator, advised that all hands must be on deck. He advised parents to pay attention to their children’s health and also maintain good hygiene for overall healthy living.

According to him, a large number of blindness was caused by the lack of information, poverty and negligence, hence the need for government to put machinery in place to avert the unpleasant trend.

“ A great number of Nigerians lost their sight due to lack of information and poverty. We are blind and should not be bothered about that, but we don’t want more people to suffer what we have suffered, either due to illnesses, lack of information, or lack of knowledge.

“ We want to appeal to parents, to pay attention to their children’s general health and sight-related issues. They should maintain proper hygiene which will help avert a lot of illness.

The government should put machinery in place to help avert the loss of sight. Although technology has helped us, sight remains very important.”

While shedding more light on the forthcoming White Cane and Safety Day Celebration, marked yearly on October 15, Mohammed said the association will be giving out hundreds of white cane for ease in mobility, while also empowering 30 members with expertise in various skills.

He also encouraged persons with visual impairment not to give up on themselves saying: “ At this association, we are able to give hope to people who have lost their sight due to one illness or accident, by providing succour for such persons.

If you have lost your sight, it is not the end of the world. If you are blind, go to the right place for rehabilitation. You can be whatever you desire to be. “

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Also commenting on the forthcoming White Cane and Safety Day Celebration/Congress, the chairman of the planning committee, Barrister Abolarinwa Salami, said the event which will bring together stakeholder from respective fields, will also be used as a forum to deliberate on other critical issues affecting blind persons in the country.

Recounting the challenges of being blind, Oluwakemi Odusaya said Ignorance, inclusive and exclusivity, and accessibility, are the major challenges.

“ Most parents are yet to believe that a child who is blind can become a professional in any field. With the right encouragement and environment, availability of braille books and audio-books, persons with visual impairment can be productive, ” she maintained.