Vision for the blind
By ANTHONY THANASAYAN
Recently, I spoke to England-born Kathleen Muna
Othman who now lives with
her Kedah-born husband Captain Othman Darus, 73, in Ulu Klang, Selangor.
Muna, 64, was more than happy to divulge her Merdeka Day wishes for her
adopted 21-year-old blind son, Amin Shariff Abdullah, and other blind
persons in the country.
Amin was abandoned in an alley in
Although the doctors fought hard to save his life, his eyesight could not be
restored.
Muna Othman (with Amin):
"I found it hard to accept people's ignorance
towards the blind."
Later Othman and Muna adopted him. When he was five
years old, they took him
to
ago.
"I found it hard to accept people's ignorance towards the blind,"
said Muna,
who first came to
She said that going out with Amin in Kuala Lumpur has
made her realise that
many sighted people are unfamiliar with how to guide a blind person along,
nor do they know what a white cane is for.
"People frequently bump into us at shopping complexes and some even have
the
cheek to express disgust when my son accidentally touches them.
"The reason Amin holds his white cane is to
indicate 'I can't see, so please
make way'," Muna pointed out.
Her Merdeka wish is to see awareness programmes about the blind being aired
on TV and the radio in order to educate the public on the proper etiquette
when meeting a blind person.
Getting around for the blind, Muna noted, is another
problem.
"There are either no pavements around or only a few available. Not that I
intend to keep Amin wrapped up in cotton wool but,
because of the lack of
such facilities, my son decides to stay at home rather than to attempt a
trip to the shops.
"I don't blame him as there's nothing to differentiate the road from an
unexpected drop into a deep monsoon drain.
"Making pavements in all residential areas would solve such problems, not
only for the blind but also for seniors, young children and those with other
disabilities who try to avoid getting onto the path of uncaring
motorists,"
she said.
Muna pointed out that other areas that need
consideration are uncovered
drains and traffic lights without beepers.
Improvements that she would like to see happening for the blind are:
·Easy registration for the blind. Make forms and medical
certification free
and available in hospitals so that the disabled will not have to make extra
trips to welfare offices, etc.
·Monthly allowances for all disabled persons regardless of their income.
·Blindness awareness for taxi drivers taking blind passengers for a ride by
claiming they do not know a certain destination and then overcharging them.
·Training for airport staff on how to guide a visually impaired traveller
properly.
·Training for medical staff to explain details and procedures carefully and
clearly to blind patients.
·Provision of facilities for visually impaired students, for their
education, - e.g. computers/laptops, Braille displays and note-takers,
screen-reading software, symbol and guide canes, etc.
·Availability of support workers for blind schoolchildren, especially during
the first year of school or university, to help them integrate into regular
schools.
·Setting up of a 24-hour free phone line for the blind and other
disabilities groups so that they can call for assistance in an emergency.
Muna and a group of dedicated friends and colleagues
are in the process of
setting up a support group for the blind and those with other disabilities.
Watch this space for the latest updates on this project.
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