The Tribune

By RIEL MAJOR

THE Bahamas Alliance for the Blind and Visually Impaired participants met in Rawson Square yesterday to participate in a demonstration of the "white cane" walk to highlight blindness awareness month.

Before the demonstration, Minister of Social Services Frankie Campbell made an appearance and encouraged the blind not to be discouraged because they inspire people not to give up.

Mr Campbell said: "I'm really moved at your spirits. You know people think about people with disabilities and they think of them as being less in some way or unable to do anything for themselves. But being around y'all on the weekend and now today, just hearing your laughter lifts my spirit.

"Just going through this exercise caused me to forget some of the stresses that I left in the office and so that is why I would have said to you, if you ever find yourself discouraged... remember that you encourage some people too. That you inspire some people too because people look at you just walking down the street with your cane and that encourages them it says to them if he can find the courage even with his challenges to attempt to do things why shouldn't I having more that God has blessed me with."

The event's aim was to highlight the independence of blind people living in the country and the importance of preventing blindness.

The Tribune spoke with Desmond Brown, the president of the group, who said drivers in The Bahamas can be impatient and he wants motorists to be more patient with people with disabilities.

"For us here in The Bahamas, we may not know where those crossings are and when we need to cross… we need to cross, so in crossing what we will do is step to the side, up a street we will hold our cane out indicating that we need to cross.

"When the driver sees the cane, they would recognise the cane is the symbol of blindness so the driver needs to stop and allow the person to cross the street.

"The blind don't need to run across the street, we just need to be able to walk normally. We have some drivers that are impatient and want to be honking their horns but we don't need that we don't need to be running and tripping over so we just need to be allowed to cross the street and then you can go on your way."

The group of blind people, both men and women, from the alliance walked from Rawson Square to Government House for lunch with Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling.

Dame Marguerite welcomed the guests and congratulated them on their efforts to spread the importance of sight.

She said: "I extend a particular welcome to the president and members of the Bahamas Alliance for the Blind and Visually Impaired as you observe the annual 'white cane day' today. It is indeed a very great pleasure to join with you in this important occasion.

"I take this opportunity to congratulate you on the fine efforts being made to sensitise the general public to the importance of protecting the eyes. Preserving sight, and doing all to prevent blindness. This is an essential move, the success of which hopefully will create more awareness among all Bahamians regarding the importance of sight."