The Tribune

IF YOU had to go through your daily routine of getting up, getting dressed, going to work, or taking care of your household without being able to see, you might realise just how important it is to protect your eyes.

That’s the message the Bahamas Alliance for the Blind and Visually Impaired (BABVI) wants people to remember every October, which has been officially declared Sight Awareness Month.

BABVI is hosting demonstrations all day today, which is International White Cane Day.

BABVI members will be out in Rawson Square from 11am to 1pm, meeting and greeting members of the public, and demonstrating the tools and systems they use on a daily basis.

There are many misconceptions blind want people to do away with, and they want White Cane Day to be the forum for them to achieve this.

For example, they want the public to know the blind can use the internet, sending emails, chatting on social media, downloading music and other tasks, by simply installing a software that allows them to hear everything the computer’s mouse does.

The theme for Sight Awareness Month 2013 is: “Creating opportunities through partnership”.

On Friday, BABVI teamed up with the Ministry of Health and the nurses of the Eye Project to host a one day symposium for World Sight Day.

Nurse Bridgette Symonette led the symposium, and expressed a commitment to help BABVI spread the message of protecting the eyes.

Lowe’s Wholesale and the Alcon eyedrops also supported the symposium.

BABVI will wrap up the month’s activities with a steak-out fundraiser on Saturday, October 26 at Long Wharf, Arawak Cay, from noon to 6pm.