'Sight Guide' technique to help cross roads

WORLD CANE DAY ? National Association for the Blind organises programmes to
create awareness about the visually challenged

EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE T HE National Association for the Blind (NAB)
celebrated World Cane Day on Sunday by organising programmes across Mumbai,
to generate public awareness about 'sight guide' techniques to help visually
challenged persons to cross roads.

"The right way is to let the visually challenged person hold your elbow
gently. I have seen people trying to clutch the visually challenged person
tightly. It's risky for both. The sighted person should walk in front,''
explained Panna K Mistry, deputy director of the NAB.

Mistry further points out that the visually challenged person can trace the
movements of the person guiding him, through the way the guide moves his
elbow.

As part of this awareness drive, a dummy signal and zebra crossing were
created at Phoenix Mills in Lower Parel. The demonstration attracted quite a
few volunteers, eager to learn the right technique to help visually
challenged persons.

Mistry pointed out that there is a general lack of awareness regarding
visually challenged persons. ''I have seen people either being
over-protective or negligent towards them. They don't need our sympathy. We
should let them be independent,'' he said.

Mistry added that courses like physiotherapy, making liquid soaps,
decorative candles, acupressure etc are taught at NAB as part of their adult
rehabilitation programme, so that visually challenged persons can earn their
livelihood independently.

"I travel everyday from Nalasopara to Lower Parel, thanks to the NAB's basic
rehabilitation course. Even after losing my sight, I am supporting my family
by selling decorative candles, something I learnt to make in NAB," said
34-year-old Budite Surve, who lost his sight to glaucoma at the age of four.
On Tuesday, these visually challenged students will market their handmade
products at Big Bazaar in Phoenix Mills.

''This is part of our economic rehabilitation programme. We will show people
that we still have our independence,'' concluded Surve.

EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE T HE National As- sociation for the Blind (NAB)
celebrated World Cane Day on Sun- day by organising pro- grammes across
Mumbai, to generate public aware- ness about 'sight guide' techniques to
help visually challenged persons to cross roads. "The right way is to let
the visually challenged person hold your elbow gently. I have seen people
trying to clutch the visually challenged person tightly. It's risky for
both. The sighted person should walk in front,'' explained Panna K Mistry,
deputy director of the NAB.

Mistry further points out that the visually chal- lenged person can trace the movements of the per- son guiding him, through the way the guide moves his elbow. As part of this awareness drive, a dummy signal and zebra crossing were created at Phoenix Mills in Lower
Parel. The demonstration attracted quite a few volun- teers, eager to learn
the right technique to help vi- sually challenged persons.

 Mistry pointed out that there is a general lack of awareness regarding visu- ally
challenged persons. ''I have seen people either being over-protective or
negligent towards them. They don't need our sym- pathy. We should let them
be independent,'' he said. Mistry added that courses like physiother- apy,
making liquid soaps, decorative candles, acu- pressure etc are taught at NAB
as part of their adult rehabilitation programme, so that visually challenged
persons can earn their livelihood independently.

 "I travel everyday from Nalasopara to Lower Parel, thanks to the NAB's basic rehabilitation course. Even after losing my sight, I am supporting my family by selling decorative
candles, some- thing I learnt to make in NAB," said 34-year-old Budite
Surve, who lost his sight to glaucoma at the age of four. On Tuesday, these
visu- ally challenged students will market their hand- made products at Big
Bazaar in Phoenix Mills. ''This is part of our eco- nomic rehabilitation
pro- gramme. We will show people that we still have our independence,'' con-
cluded Surve.


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