Launch of Blindness Awareness Month

On Monday, May 9, 2022, the Unit for the Blind and Visually Impaired in collaboration with the Ministry of Education through the Department of Education Georgetown and the Special Education Needs Unit hosted a Blindness Awareness Launch to celebrate the achievements of this Resource Unit, as well as persons with blindness and visual impairment.

In the Caribbean Region; Blindness Awareness is commemorated in the month of May with the purpose of bringing a heightened focus on the blind and visually impaired community and the realities of living without sight. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “everyone, if they live long enough, will experience at least one eye condition in their lifetime”.

Over eighty persons were in attendance to participate in the various activities that were aimed at providing insights into the work of the Unit for the Blind and Visually Impaired, the equipment used in Blind Education, and the materials and teaching aids that are used to enhance learning in a classroom for learners with blindness and visual impairment.

Eye tests and vision screening were also conducted for students and teachers where fifty-nine persons were screened. The Ministry of Education through the Health and Family Life Education Unit will be facilitating the process of free spectacles for thirty-nine students who were diagnosed with vision difficulties during this activity.