Light at the end of tunnel for the blind

VADODARA, April 29: Of the 20 lakh blind population in the country, a large chunk comprises the adult blind, those who have lost their sight...

VADODARA, April 29: Of the 20 lakh blind population in the country, a large chunk comprises the adult blind, those who have lost their sight due to an accident, disease, failure of the cornea, glaucoma or other eye disorders.

Even as they learn to cope with the darkness, the fear of unemployment and family responsibility makes adjustment a more arduous task.

Helping the adult blind retain their self-respect with its education, training, social integration, self-employment and employment projects is the Blind Welfare Council, which was established in the city in 1972.

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“Children get habituated to blindness much more easily than adults. Blind employees find little favour with most firms or industries. We try to generate employment opportunities for these people so that they don’t have to depend on others or suffer from a low self-esteem,” says Council Development Officer Ghanshyam A Bhavsar. Incidentally, Bhavsar and the organisation’s Secretary M S Patel are both blind.

Bhavsar informed Express Newsline that the cases of adult blindness were higher in the slum areas. “The people there lack information and tend to follow superstitions, thus, ignoring medical assistance,” he said. For the illiterate and unskilled blind persons, the council runs projects of recaning chairs, making foot dusters, purses and baskets.

“These can be sold to earn a livelihood. Others are given weighing scales or water larris to use at public spots like the station or Nyay Mandir,” Bhavsar said. The educated blind, on the other hand, are helped to acquire telephone booths by which they can earn between Rs 150 to 200 daily, he added.

The Council also distributes foodgrains, shoes, walking-sticks, books among deserving blind persons free-of-cost. “On the first Saturday of every month, we give 10 kg of foodgrains and essential items like soaps, towels, to almost 35 people,” said Bhavsar.

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Interestingly, a US-based organisation of migrated Vadodara citizens called `India House of Worship’ is helping the Council in a unique way. The organisation donates almost 25,000 kgs of used and washed clothes annually, which are distributed among 1000 blind persons by the council.

Assistance to normal children born to blind parents is also provided by the council. “A normal child born to blind parents usually has problems coping with education as his parents are not always able to offer him/her guidance.

Also, when the earning member of the family is blind, the income of the family tends to be less,” said Bhavsar. The council provides stationery and clothes to 60 children from such families and also offers limited tuition facilities.

The council has started a braille equipment bank in collaboration with the of the All India Confederation of the Blind, New Delhi and the National Association for the Blind, Gujarat, whereby the blind can obtain educational and entertainment equipment at 25 per cent concessional rates.

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A marriage bureau for blind persons is also on the premises. “We help young men and women find partners of their choice and also bear some of the wedding expenses,” said Bhavsar.

Among its other activities, the council arranges bal-melas for children of the blind where they are counselled about living with blind parents. The organisation also plans cricket matches for young blind boys using a special ball consisting beads, so that they batsmen can hit the ball hearing its sound.