Today is World White Cane Day We are not objects of charity: SLFVH We need acceptance and independen

“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision”
 

 This perpetual truth was once exposed to the world by Helen Keller, the first deaf and blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts Degree.  Today, the Sri Lanka Federation of the Visually Handicapped (SLFVP) pays homage to the belief of Keller in their exertion to up bring the lives of the visually impaired in society. What is remarkable is that the SLFVH strengthens the visually impaired amidst ostracism practised by the ‘lucky and complete’ majority in society.  
 

“We are considered objects of charity”, SLFVP member Rienze Benedict said, with reference to social acceptance of the visually impaired. 
 

“We are given opportunities to receive vocational training only with relevance to industries associated with the Ministry of Social Services. So, our skills and capacities are confined to producing rugs, weaving chairs and candle-making. We request the Industrial Development Board to let us train ourselves in diverse industries so that we aren’t shunned by  society” SLFVH President Alex M. Jayawardane said. 
 

Currently, quite a number of visually impaired people are employed as telephone operators in companies like AIA insurance, the Railway Department, Abans and Osu Sala. The visually handicapped telephone operator at SLFVH can remembers over 100 telephone numbers, proving that the visually impaired are competent in carrying out the job of a telephone operator. Therefore, Mr. Jayawardane requested both state-owned companies and private organisations to employ the visually handicapped to fill available vacancies of telephone operators. 
 

Sri Lanka is in the practice of ‘integrated education’ where differently-abled students are mixed with regular students in classrooms. SLFVH Treasurer Nishantha Mendis said ‘integrated education’ was unsuccessful in Sri Lanka. He said either the integrated education system should be removed or specially trained teachers should be appointed to teach the visually handicapped in regular schools. 
 

“There are very few specially trained teachers. Teachers are not motivated to take special training as the allowance that used to be given to specially trained teachers, is not given to them today. This situation is pathetic in that one specially trained teacher has to handle students in several schools that belong to one region. This is not an effective method of teaching and learning,” Mr. Mendis said. 








" We are given opportunities to receive vocational training only with relevance to industries associated with the Ministry of Social Services. So, our skills and capacities are confined to producing rugs, weaving chairs and candle-making "
 

 

Mr. Mendis also said visually handicapped graduates had been appointed as teachers in certain schools but relevant timetables and teachers’ guide books had not been provided. 
 

“The principals’ attitudes towards visually handicapped teachers are disappointing”, he said.
 

Mr. Mendis also said even the basic Braille instruments which were imported from India were neither available in sufficient numbers nor received on time for visually handicapped children. “The basic Braille instruments are only Rs.2000 and the SLFVP imports them at a price of RS. 1860. Yet there are not provided in sufficient numbers by the government to the visually handicapped children. Therefore, especially students out of Colombo find resources of education inaccessible” he said. 

Mr. Mendis further said adequate Braille textbooks were not provided to the visually handicapped students. He pointed out that once the electronic print of any text book was taken, it took no more than two minutes to convert the copy to Braille. Yet, the Braille press at the National Institute of Education appears to be inefficient in fulfilling such a simple yet essential task, defining a major defect in its service. 
 

“The visually impaired are heavily threatened by motorists”, Mr. Jayawardena said. “Nowadays, even ordinary pedestrians are at risk of being hit by irresponsible drivers who are in a mighty hurry to reach their destinations.”
 

Thus, Mr. Jayawardane requested the Motor Vehicles Department to identify and respect the White Cane. 
 

The SLFVP is privileged with a four-part choir comprising visually impaired singers. Choir performances are accompanied by an orchestra in which the instruments are also played by them. 
 

The visually impaired in the country have also reached great heights in the field of sports, marking remarkable achievements in cricket. The SLFVP is honoured with a cricket team upheld by the Sri Lanka Cricket Association of the Visually Handicapped. The cricket team of the visually impaired came 2nd runner-up at the T20 World Cup 2012. 
 

Although the visually impaired show reliable evidence of brilliance, they are merely viewed as ‘objects of charity’ in society. 
 

Thus, the belief of the SLFVP is that the visually handicapped need acceptance and independence not sympathy and dependence.