Optima
College
Situated in Pretoria, Optima College is the first tertiary (Further
Education and Training) institute for blind and partially sighted
people. It offers vocational training in the computer and call
centre fields, to people of all groups and areas of South Africa,
and beyond.
Students have
access to a low vision specialist, while the Goldfields
Resource Centre – situated in the adjacent building – offers
them the opportunity to discover and test a wide range of assistive
devices.
Click here for more about Optima College.
Goldfields
Resource Centre
Situated at our head office in Pretoria, the Resource Centre
carries a wide range of assistive devices for blind and partially
sighted people – ranging from small, inexpensive items
like liquid level indicators and self-threading needles to electronic
talking scales.
Mini Resource Centres have also been established in Worcester,
Cape Town, Bloemfontein, Durban and the Northern Province.
Click here to browse
our catalogue and order online.
Bureau for
the Prevention of Blindness
Aimed at making eye care accessible to all South Africans, particularly
disadvantaged township and rural people, the Bureau performs
cataract and other surgery, treats various eye conditions such
as glaucoma, and prescribes spectacles.
Over the past 50 years, in collaboration with the various government,
provincial and local health authorities, we have developed a
comprehensive national eye service. Our programme includes Sight
Saver tours – where teams of ophthalmologists, nursing
and admin staff visit rural hospitals; permanent Eye Care Centres,
where a full stock of equipment, drugs and dressings is maintained;
and weekend urban tours, providing a service mainly to people
from informal settlements.
Since its inception, the bureau has screened close on a million
people, and performed countless sight-restoring operations.
Contact: Letty Mabena
Tel. (012) 452-3811
Low Vision Centre
For those with a visual acuity of 6/18
or worse for distance tasks, and whose vision cannot be corrected
through ordinary spectacles, medication or surgery, our Low
Vision Centre provides assessment and services aimed at enhancing
visual performance.
We assist individuals with low vision
to understand and utilise their remaining vision more effectively – through
the use of special optical devices such as magnifiers, telescopes
and electronic CCTV readers, by using specific eye movement
techniques, and by making adjustments to their environment
regarding lighting, colour and contrast.
Counselling to the individual and family
forms part of the service and is aimed at assisting those affected
by low vision to come to terms with their loss and make the
necessary adjustments to retain quality of life.
The Low Vision Centre provides consultative
services to eye care professionals. Optima Optics, a division
of the centre, is the official distributor of Schweizer low
vision devices to Optometrists and Ophthalmologists.
Contact: Preeth Ramlal or Low Vision Department
Tel. +27 (12) 452-3811
Access
Our information section, which includes the Motswedi Information
Centre [see below], runs an extensive public relations programme
– which encompasses presenting talks to the public, organising
special events and awareness campaigns, media liaison and dealing
with queries.
In addition, three times a year we publish a magazine, Imfama (in
print, braille and tape) which carries news and stories of interest
to visually disabled people.
Contact: Madalein Greyling
Tel. +27 (0) 12 452-3811
Motswedi Information Centre on Blindness
Prevention and Eye Health
We develop and distribute educational material relating to eye
health, eye disease and blindness – and offer a walk-in
and distance enquiry service.
Books, pamphlets and audiovisual materials are available on
loan free of charge. Photocopies of articles from ophthalmic
and eye health journals are provided at a minimal fee.
Information can also be accessed through subject files covering
all aspects of blindness and eye health.
Tel. (012) 452-3811
Entrepreneurial Development
The overriding aim of this department
is to identify blind people in rural and township areas, to
provide them with essential independence skills and capacity
building to enable them to set up informal income-generating
projects.
Contact: Mr P Molala/Mr C Budeli
Tel. (012) 452-3811
South African Blind Youth Organisation
(SABYO)
The South African Blind Youth Organisation (SABYO) aims to mobilise
blind and partially sighted South Africans in the 14 - 35 year
age bracket, to empower them to take responsibility for their
lives and future wellbeing.
Priority areas are promoting access to all levels of education,
promoting social integration, access to employment, HIV/Aids
awareness, fostering personal development and leadership and
facilitating participation in sport and recreational activities.
The organisation also serves as a consultative body on issues
that concern blind and partially sighted youth.
Operating at national, provincial and regional level, SABYO
is involved in developing and implementing training and action
programmes, serves as an advocacy and lobbying forum and liaises
with government departments, service organisations, disabled
people's organisation and the corporate sector.
For more information,
please contact:
The Youth Coordinator
SABYO
P O Box 11149
Hatfield
0028
Tel +27 (0)12 452 3811
email: admin@sancb.org.za
