THERE was much excitement as the KwaZulu-Natal Blind and Deaf Society (KZNBDS) hosted their 2nd Blind Navigators Rally on Sunday, November 20.
Drivers paired up with blind navigators to take on a course on public roads. The rally also served as a fundraiser for KZNBDS, with 20 teams made up of local business and corporate groups who contributed toward KZNBDS through the entry fee.
The route, which remained a secret until the morning of the event, saw participants head off from Suncoast Casino parking lot to travel a journey of about 77km down the South Coast to Winklespruit and back. The drivers were kept in the dark about the route, distance and destination of the trip as they were tasked with following directions from their navigators.
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President of KZNBDS Vetha Sewkuran said the event formed part of the Society’s eyecare awareness campaign.
“We highlight the use of Braille by the blind. The rally was started in South Africa many years ago, and it’s become an international event. The KwaZulu Natal Blind and Deaf Society is the only organisation that has hosted the event in South Africa. This race is all about timing and precision – it’s not a race of speed. The driver has to listen very carefully to the blind navigator who is going to direct the driver to an unknown destination and back. The driver doesn’t know which roads to take or which road he is approaching,” said Sewkuran.
Simmi Singh of Dot Graphics was one of the drivers who took part in the rally.
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“This was a welcome experience which has given me a new insight into the challenges faced by persons without vision. I have also learnt that people with this disability can also be mobile and can lead a good quality of life. David, my navigator, was very patient and made this adventure memorable,” said Singh.
KZNBDS public relations officer Yegehsne Naidu added that blind navigators were randomly allocated to drivers.
“The ability to work as a team will be tested as both participants in the car are strangers to one another but must completely rely on one another,” said Naidu.
A prize-giving ceremony and lunch were held at Suncoast Casino after the rally.
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