Early detection can prevent blindness

ONE of the leading causes of blindness is a lack of eye care.

During Blind Awareness Month, the KwaZulu-Natal Society for the Blind is urging people to practice better eye care.

“Make it a point to get tested when the time still allows because the earlier they identify the problem on the eye, the earlier you can be assisted,” said Edwin Singo, Orientation and Mobility practitioner at KZN Blind.

“For example, let’s say a person has a cataract (clouding of the normally clear lens of your eye) and they have had it since they were young. At the end of the day it will eventually lead to blindness and by the time the person realises it is cataract, which is curable, the time is no longer allowing.”

KZN Blind, situated on 194 Umbilo Road, has been around for over 100 years helping to assist blind people across the province.

Singo’s job is mainly to help recently blind people familiarise themselves with their surroundings and adapt to their new reality of visual impairment.

The association has divisions offering rehabiltation, training and workshops.

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Singo said the rehabilitation and training usually happen at a person’s home where they are comfortable and will be spending most of their time. The workshop is supervised by Gilbert Kowa, who has been living with blindness for over two decades. In the workshop, blind people are taught craftsmanship and their products are then sold to the public.

“We have trained them from scratch, how to touch, feel. Starting a weave, feeling different shapes of material and baskets. How to do measurements of baskets and other things they get taught here,” said Kowa.

Kowa, 40, was born with a rare genetic disorder called Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). RP is an eye disease that damages the back of the eye (retina), it starts during childhood and gradually becomes worse, eventually leading to blindness.

“When I was younger I could see much better but as I grew up it (my eyesight) got worse. I remember at the age of 15 to 18 years I could read and write but now I can’t. The doctors told me that when I reach the age of 50 and 60, I will be totally blind,” said Kowa.

Although Kowa is legally blind, he said he can still interpret between light and dark. He also can see silhouettes of people or animals but cannot identify them by face. Kowa walks around without a cane and uses his hands and feet to feel obstacles. Kowa has a wife and 4 children who, fortunately, did not inherit RP from him.

Benzile Lushozi, is a social worker at KZN Blind and also works at the association’s Early Childhood Development centre.

Lushozi said when it comes to children, early detection is crucial in ensuring that the child is trained as early as possible to live with blindness and prepared for school.

“It’s important to note that the child is not mentally disabled. There are blind people who have PhDs, that are highly educated in various fields, the only difference is that they do things differently,” she said.

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