PHOTO: White cane safety training in progress on a Voinjama street
By Tokpa Tarnue–Tarnue822@gmail.com
VOINJAMA, Liberia- The Liberia Christian Association of the Blind (CAB) is currently conducting 10-day white cane safety training for 23 visually impaired people here in the northwestern Lofa County, 368 kilometers from Monrovia.
A white cane is a device used by many people who are blind or visually impaired. Wikepedia says: “A white cane primarily allows its user to scan their surroundings for obstacles or orientation marks, but is also helpful for onlookers in identifying the user as blind or visually impaired and taking appropriate care.”
There are thousands of visually impaired/blind people in Liberia, many of whom lack access to or knowledge of how to effectively use the white cane.
According to the Youth Coordinator for CAB, Rally T. Fallah the ongoing training is in continuation of the orientation and mobility training program which seeks to build the capacity of visually impaired people in moving around independently and stop being dependent on others.
He said the training will also help to reduce or put a stop to the use of under age children by visually impaired persons in the streets.
The current training is phase two of the Liberia Christian Association of the Blind’s c Capacity Building Program which is been conducted in eight of Liberia’s fifteen Counties including Lofa, according to Mr. Fallah
Phase 1 of the Capacity Building Training, which was held in 2019, brought together a total of 22 visually impaired people from across Lofa.
The 23 partially and totally blind participants have been provided with white cane each by the Liberia Christian Association of the Blind.
Speaking further, the Coordinator of the Christian Association of the Blind has called on the both local and national government to support the Liberia Christian Association of the Blind in order to better the living conditions of persons living with disabilities across the country.
He said the organization is also plaining to provide some financial support to visually impaired people in the eight counties of operation but name the lack of budgetary allocation.
“If this government can prioritize people living with disabilities as a country by allocating at least 75 – 100,000 United States Dollars in National Budget, disabled people will highly appreciative,” Mr. Fallah noted.
Meanwhile, participants attending the 10-day capacity building training praised CAB for the opportunity describing the training as timely.
They also want government ensure the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the decision making process of the county and country at large.