October eye-openers

It’s frustrating to know that millions of lives have been unnecessarily ‘caged in’ by eye conditions such as cataract, glaucoma, refractive error, age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.

Because up to 75% of blind people in the world have lost their sight needlessly – they could still have their vision if they had access to proven, cost-effective procedures.

That’s why during this year’s Eye Care Awareness Month in October, and specifically on World Sight Day on 9 October, we want to raise awareness about how important it is to look after eye health from a young age. It’s a fact that regular screening and eye tests can help preserve sight later in life.

Along with our Bureau for the Prevention of Blindness, Council will lead the Eye Care Awareness campaign with the cooperation of the SA Optometric Association, the Ophthalmologic Society of SA, as well as the Department of Health and other stakeholders.

Together we aim to use the month of October to promote eye health and to put basic eye care services within reach of all South Africans. Specialists across the country will be involved in various initiatives to raise awareness, promote eye health, screen for errors and perform sight restoring operations.

Regular eye screening is a crucial tool in the fight to prevent avoidable blindness, because an eye problem will be detected immediately through screening. For example, according to the Vision 2020 website, diabetic retinopathy, a potential side effect of diabetes, has caused 1.8 million cases of blindness in the world but it can be treated if it’s picked up early enough.

Refractive errors, the main cause of vision impairment amongst children aged five to 15 years, can be picked up by screening and can be easily corrected by a pair of spectacles.

Cataract, which has caused bilateral blindness in almost 18 million people worldwide, can in most cases be corrected through surgery. With the right equipment - and the support of generous friends – one ophthalmologist can perform 1000 to 2000 amazing sight restoring cataract operations a year!

As the world’s population ages, the number of people blinded by these various eye conditions will increase dramatically. Vision 2020 estimates that by 2020, the 8.7% of all people blinded by macular degeneration will double and the 4.5 million people with glaucoma may rocket to 80 million.

It is crucial that people are aware of age-related eye disease and of taking care of their eyes from an early age.

Please support our work so we can keep the candle of sight burning.

Source: vision 2020 website

The secret to happiness

It seems the secret to happiness lies in giving! New research has found that people who spend their money on gifts for others or on donations to charity are much more content than those who squander their money on themselves. 

Researchers at the University of British Columbia in Canada gave students envelopes containing either a $5 bill or a $20 bill. They found that those who donated the money to charity or used it to buy a gift for someone else were happier at the end of the day than those who used it to pay a bill or indulge in a treat for themselves.

Two other surveys had similar results, which leads researchers to conclude that the effect of altruistic spending is probably similar to the effects of exercise – including reduced anxiety, depression and stress, along with positive effects on mood and self esteem.

Researchers also believe that while giving once might make a person happy for a day, it could make a lasting difference if it became a way of life. Let’s spread the word that giving is the path to happiness!

Source:Elsa Youngsteadt, ScienceNOW (March 2008).

Surprise gift from film company

Two Braillers were joyfully accepted in June by the League of Friends of the Blind during their Blind Buddy day – and another gift of four Braillers to Athlone School for the Blind has brought even more happiness.

American film company Film Afrika 3, purchased and donated 26 valuable Braillers to Council. We are distributing these braillers to less fortunate schools that cannot afford to buy such expensive equipment. The donation of this sought-after equipment will make a huge difference in the lives of our visually impaired learners and we are very grateful to Film Afrika 3.

Blinding facts

• 80% of the world’s 45 million blind people are over 50 years of age.
• Our chances of developing cataract, refractive error, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma increase as we age.
• Cataract remains the leading cause of blindness in older people – yet it can be cured with a simple, cost-effective operation. Council, in line with VISION 2020 goals, seeks to make this ‘gift’ available to all who need it.
• Glaucoma has blinded 4.5 million people worldwide.
• 8 million people worldwide are functionally blind due to uncorrected refractive errors. Yet a simple eye test and glasses could restore sight to most of these people.
  
  Source:Vision 2020 Website

Glaucoma

Glaucoma will affect more than 60.5 million people worldwide by 2010 in both developed and developing countries.

In both developed and developing countries, only 50% of people with glaucoma are aware they have the disease and an even smaller percent receive adequate treatment.

On 6 March we at the South African National Council for the Blind celebrated the 1st World Glaucoma day by offering a free screening service at Mamelodi Hospital. The Bureau for the Prevention of Blindness, a division of Council responsible for our Eye Care Programme, together with volunteer ophthalmologists and optometrists offered these services in the battle against preventable blindness.

Glaucoma is a serious condition that involves an elevation in pressure inside the eye caused by a build-up of excess fluid. Left untreated, this pressure can impair vision by causing irreversible damage to the optic nerve and, eventually, blindness. Glaucoma results in peripheral vision loss, and is an especially dangerous eye condition because it frequently progresses without obvious symptoms.

There is no cure for glaucoma, although it can be treated. The damage to the optic nerve from glaucoma cannot be reversed. However, lowering the pressure in the eye can prevent further damage to the optic nerve and further peripheral vision loss.

Unrest in Nairobi brings African Union of the Blind delegates to Pretoria

The African Union of the Blind (AFUB) was to have their Board Meeting and Women’s Forum in Nairobi, Kenya from 4 to 10 March, but due to the ongoing political clashes in Kenya, the South African National Council for the Blind was asked to provide the venue.  

We were happy to step up to the challenge and assisted Dr Macha and her team with arrangements for the Pretoria meeting.

The meetings took place at our offices in Baileys Muckleneuk in Pretoria.

We are one of AFUB’s members and share their objectives. This involvement will benefit the visually impaired community of South Africa while strengthening relationships between organisations working in the blindness sector in Africa.

The programmes of AFUB include:

• Capacity building for the membership through leadership training, organisational development and income generation;
• Women and youth empowerment;
• Advocacy on HIV and AIDS, sexual and reproductive health rights;
• National, regional and international advocacy for policy influence and inclusion in the wider development agenda;
• Information, education and communication (IEC);
• Human rights awareness, training and advocacy;
  
• Education and braille literacy;
• Networking and resource mobilisation;
• Institutional development.

Blind Father awarded custody of nine month old baby

On Friday 15 February, 2008, The Pretoria High Court ordered that a baby girl be returned to the custody of her blind father. The baby, and two older step children, were removed from his care by Social Services shortly after the death of their mother last November.

We were happy to play a part in the discussions between the children's court, the blind father and his legal team. As part of our involvement, we also arranged an independent assessment, by two social workers, one of whom was blind, and an occupational therapist, of the father's ability to function independently.

Any attempt to discriminate against the fundamental human rights of blind people is of grave concern to our organisation.

We're happy to report that Baby Jessica was reunited with her father on the evening on 21 February 2008.

Look at ME!

Recently published by Genugtig!, Look at me showcases the sensuality, strength and courage of 23 disabled women.  

It is an inspirational journey that forces the reader to look beyond the disability to see the ability. Apart from the beautiful pictures taken by international photographer, Lucie Pavlovich, the women all wrote their own life stories for the book.

They come from all walks of life, from housewives to very successful businesswomen. Some were born with their disability and others were disabled as a result of an accident or illness later in life.

Included in the book is a comprehensive list of contact details of disability organisations in South Africa.

A Christmas wish comes true

It was a Christmas that Laylaa Jacobs will never forget. Her gift from us was a Perkins Braille typewriter and with it, a whole new world of reading, writing, fun and learning opened up.

Laylaa’s mother Saadia appealed to Highveld Radio 94.7 in response to their Christmas Wishlist drive. In her Christmas
wish for her daughter she explained Laylaa’s need and desire to become Braille literate. Laylaa was born blind, thus her medium for reading and writing will be Braille. She starts ‘big school’ Grade R pre-primary in 2008.

Christmas Wishlist contacted us and in partnership with Perkins in the USA, we donated a Brailler, Braille paper and a tactile book to Laylaa and showed her the basic writing techniques. Saadia is thrilled with her daughter’s interest and enthusiasm with her new tools.

Little Laylaa is very eager to master Braille; her drive and curiosity will surely lead her to great achievements and we are all very excited about what life will hold for this special little lady.

Evaluating the South African Notetaker

The Meraka Institute has started talks with Sahara Systems to investigate the possibility of Sahara Systems manufacturing the Notetaker,  which Meraka is developing. 

The next step in the process has been to give Sahara Systems the chance to evaluate the Notetaker – and Meraka has decided to partner with organisations such as the The South African National Council for the Blind in the evaluation process.

Various staff members, including the Assistive Technology Specialists, went to Meraka in December last year to try out the Notetaker.

Developers Willem van der Walt and Gerhard van den Berg gave a demonstration on the Notetaker, followed by a question and answer session. Then it was time for our staff members to test the Notetaker ­ and feedback was very positive!

We’re very excited about the future of the locally developed Notetaker, and will keep you up-to-date on developments.

Honda SA donates computers for blind people

'But what do blind people do with computers?'

Handing over a donation of computers to Esme Prinsloo and Korky Levanon, of the South African Council for the Blind, Tanya Drotsky of Honda SA put into words the question that many people would like to ask.

We were delighted to demonstrate to Tanya how efficiently a visually impaired person can access the Internet, and read and write emails, with the help of assistive software programmes.

The laptops and computers donated by Honda SA will have appropriate software programmes uploaded onto them before they are distributed to some of the visually impaired students on our long waiting list.

If your company is upgrading computer equipment and no longer has a use for laptops in good working order, please contact our public relations officer, Korky Levanon, on tel 012 452-3811. Your thoughtfulness would mean a lot to our students.

Christmas gifts for children

Munich Reinsurance is one of our loyal and generous supporters who decided to go the extra mile over the festive season.

Lerato Seobi of Munich Reinsurance organised a staff collection which she used to buy special gifts for children. Hope Mlotshwa of our Motswedi Centre [pictured alongside in the middle] was touched when the brightly wrapped gifts were handed over by Masango Mtshali [left] and Lerato Seobi [right].

Thanks for having hearts that can be touched by the plight of blind and partially sighted children!

Home Affairs information now available in braille

The Department of Home Affairs has for the first time produced information material in braille, which is not only of great use to South Africa's estimated 3 million blind and partially sighted people – but also a huge step forward in recognising the needs of, and making provision for inclusion of, people with disabilities.

Pictured right: Chris Budeli of our Development Division was delighted to accept copies of the new information brochures from the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Mr MKN Gigaba at Itireleng Workshop in Garankuwa.

Optima Students Graduate

A group of 30 students who had completed the Computer Literacy or Contact Centre courses graduated from Optima College in December last year.

One of the jubilant graduates described the occasion as "the most important milestone of our lives". He went on to say that computer literacy is rapidly becoming a fundamental, if not indispensable, requirement in today's employment environment and encouraged his fellow graduates to utilise their new skills for the benefit of our country.

SA National Council for the Blind 38th Biennial Conference

Two hundred and twenty participants, representing 68 of our 95 member organisations, attended the Biennial Conference, which took place from 17-19 October at Greenway Woods Conference Resort near White River in Mpumalanga.

A huge amount and variety of information was dealt with in the ten conference sessions. Topics which sparked particular interest were an address by William Rowland, President of the World Blind Union, on the work of the Union; a workshop on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, introduced by Benny Palime and Ria Mathivha of the Office on the Status of Persons with Disabilities; and, finally, an excellent paper on HIV and Aids, presented by Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, MP.

Another 10 presentations were made on such topics as Community Based Rehabilitation; Education; Information and Communication Technology with emphasis on braille and on new technological products; and Comprehensive Eye Care Services.  Text copies of all the presentations were supplied to participants in electronic form and some were made available in braille and in ink print as well.  Questions and comments were mature and to the point and gave rise to the customary crop of conference resolutions.

The pre-conference workshops were well attended, lively and expertly led by such speakers from our own ranks as Zak Yacoob, Ken Lord, Charles Dickson and Patrick Molala. A couple of highly effective newcomers were Ann Bown, the CEO of Charisma Communications, on the sustainability of organisations and Dr John Batten, the Director of the Poverty Eradication Network, on governance and leadership. 

Judge Zak Yacoob and Adv Lucky Bokaba were re-elected as Chairperson and Deputy respectively and Phillip Bam was elected as Treasurer. 

The main event outside the Conference room was the beautifully presented gala dinner on 17 October at which the guest speaker was the Honourable Thabang Makwetla, Premier of Mpumalanga. 

Another highlight was the awarding of Council’s highest honour, the RW Bowen Medal for Lifelong Meritorious Service to the Blind, to its former National Executive Director, Dr William Rowland.  This was not only in recognition of his exceptional role in South Africa, but also elsewhere in Africa and in the rest of the world.

Biennial Report available now

Click to download the latest Biennial Report.