White Cane Day celebrated
The South African Guide-Dogs Association (SAGDA) for the Blind celebrated International White Cane Day (IWCD) at the Tsolo Community Hall in Katlehong on October 15.
Over 50 people from the community were welcomed to the event by the team from SAGDA. The event included a white-cane rally by both people with visual impairment and sighted people (under blindfold).
Activities included learning how to guide people with a visual impairment, and discovering how they are able to identify money and pour hot liquids while making tea/coffee.
Elizabeth Louw, head of the orientation and mobility department, said this event was a first for SAGDA in the area. One of their members, Siphamandla Thulo, is an orientation and mobility practitioner based in Katlehong.
“Thulo provides free training to visually impaired people in the area. The training includes how to use long canes and provides skills used in daily life to help visually impaired people to be able to take care of themselves without depending on other people.
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“The purpose of the ceremony was to provide awareness to a broader spectrum and also help the community in learning more on the importance of a white cane to a person with a visual impairment.
“October is a white-cane and eye-care awareness month.
“At the same time the walk will show the community members that with a long cane and some training on how to use it, people who cannot see can also be independent,” said Louw.
Other disabled members of the community came to support the event. There was also a group of occupational therapists (OTs) from municipal clinics who participated walked wearing blindfolds and using a cane for the first time.
One of the OTs, Zenobia Bloem said: “We now better understand how challenging it is to be able to walk using a long cane.”
Masabata Mokoena, one of the first cane users to complete the walk, said: “This was easy to walk because Thulo trained us so well.”
Thulo said he was motivated to train visually impaired people when he saw their daily challenges.
“I saw the need to help them live life independently.
“I enjoy doing it, but there are challenges. People who live with visually impaired people are overprotective. They do not see people living with blindness walking on the streets alone. This always makes them step backward when it comes to their progress.
“Secondly there are so many changes made on the roads they are using and they are not being notified of the changes. When I come back after changes are made on the road, it leaves me with no choice but to go back and teach them how to use the same route again,” said Thulo.
The event ended with a lucky draw.
Louw thanked the City of Ekurhuleni for making the event a success.
She also pleaded with family members or friends of people living with visually impaired people who might need the SAGDA services to contact Thulo on 076 253 6334.
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