The Tribune

By FELICITY DARVILLE

As October comes to an end, I wanted to recognise a group that deserves just as much attention as other NGOs celebrating important causes this month.

The Bahamas Alliance for the Blind and Visually Impaired (BABVI) recognises October as Blindness Awareness Month. This year, BABVI celebrates 30 years in existence and 23 years as a legal entity for the blind in The Bahamas.

The fact that members of the alliance are blind or visually impaired have not stopped them from being active this month despite the restrictions of the pandemic.

In fact, members have been more active on social media than ever before. This was in keeping with this year’s theme: “Our Vision Still Strong; Pandemic or Not!”

BABVI president Ken Rolle said the organisation launched an aggressive campaign via social media platforms centred on eye care tips, “breaking barriers in blindness, and living with blindness.

There were also media house interviews, talk show appearances and presentations to civic organisations via Zoom. Since Ken has been president, he has brought a lot of young people to the alliance and they, in turn, have been using their social media platforms to promote their cause.

They celebrated World Sight Day on Thursday, October 8, and International White Cane Day on October 15, pushing the message to friends, family members and followers to get their eyes tested and be conscious of the needs of blind and visually impaired people like them.

The month of celebrations culminated last night with the “Vision 2020 Virtual Summit” which featured presentations from BABVI members along with representatives from the Caribbean Council for the Blind; Disability Affairs Division; Department of Social Services; The Eye Care Services Department of Public Health and The Erin H Gilmour School for the Blind.

“The Alliance remains the trailblazers in the country sensitising the general public on the importance of eye protection, sight preservation and blindness prevention,” Ken said.

“Additionally, the organisation is still focused on its mission and goals as outlined in the Constitution, employing members to remain vocal, advocating for the rights, dignity, and wellbeing of the blind in the Bahamian society.”

This year’s Blindness Awareness Month highlights included three BABVI members: Jermaine Clarke, Rickia Pratt and Akemi Kenaz Thompson.

Jermaine Clarke is a husband and father of three. He has been blind for over 25 years. Despite this challenge, Jermaine is independent and is a daily provider for his family. He has been employed at the Salvation Army’s mop factory for years now.

But that’s not all – Jermaine is a lumberjack. He is skilled at what he does and because of it, members of his community know who to call after a hurricane to help with clean up, or just to cut down overgrown trees in their yard.

For people without any disabilities, holding down two jobs is quite a feat. But being a lumberjack and a factory worker only scratches the surface of what this talented man can do. Jermaine also has skills in plumbing as well as auto mechanics.

So, his community members, family and friends call on him for all sorts of odd jobs. When he isn’t getting his hands dirty and earning money, Jermaine turns to something he loves – music.

His passion for music has blossomed into another career. Jermaine is a DJ who specialises in events like birthdays and weddings.

“Challenge me to do something and I will find a way to do it,” he said.

“Anything to feed my family.”

Ken called his BABVI colleague a great supporter of all of the organisation’s initiatives, and a “true model of a man who is blind”.

The spotlight is also on Rickia Pratt for Blindness Awareness month. Rickia has been visually impaired all her life. She attended the Salvation Army School for the Blind, where she graduated with 6 BJCs and 6 BGCSEs.

At the age of ten, Rickia developed a love for foreign languages. That love blossomed as she pursued tertiary education. She attended Eastern Washington University and successfully pursued a degree in foreign languages.

When Rickia returned home, her skills were put to good use. She made history by being the only person with disability to be accepted into the Ministry of Tourism’s Foreign Language Cadet Programme in 2008. She was afforded the opportunity to attend a summer-abroad programme in Costa Rica, one of many places she has travelled to perfect the Spanish language.

Rickia is a seasoned liturgical dancer. She has been dancing from she was eight years old. Today, Rickia is an activist for local people with disabilities. Her personal motto is: “All things are possible with hard work and determination”.

The youngest to be highlighted this month is Akemi Kenaz Thompson. She is one of the bright stars at the Erin H Gilmour School for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

Now in her late teens, Akemi was diagnosed at birth with a condition called Hydrocephalus, which is a build-up of fluid within the cavities of the brain. Treatment was administered; however, by sixth grade, Akemi’s condition took a turn for the worse, leaving her with chronic visual impairment, mostly in her right eye.

Despite this, Akemi still continues to thrive and blossom, obtaining four BJCs due to her hard work and dedication to her studies.

She is now attending classes at RM Bailey Senior High School on a quest to obtain her BGCSEs, with a focus on English Language. Akemi has learned to navigate independently with low vision using the white cane, an essential tool for blind and visually impaired people all around the world.

A white cane primarily allows its user to scan their surroundings for obstacles or orientation marks. As an onlooker, it is important to take notice when you see the white cane, so that you can identify the user as blind or visually impaired and take appropriate care. This becomes very important when you are a motorist and someone is using the white cane and crossing the street, for example. For BABVI, white cane also symbolises self-reliance and accomplishment.

Akemi has a love for reading, traveling and experiencing new cultures. One day, she hopes to be a college graduate and she aspires to become an author. She is confident she can achieve her goals because of her strong support system – her parents and three brothers.

“Congratulations goes out to the Alliance as it celebrates another milestone in the organisations’ life,” Ken said in an address to his members.

“Remain resilient, press on towards your goals, persevere in these unprecedented times despite the emergency orders. As our theme suggests… let your vision remain strong, pandemic or not!”

For donations to help the causes of the blind and visually impaired, or for general information, BABVI can be contacted through the Disability Affairs Division, telephone 325-2252 or email babvi.101@gmail.com.