Visually challenged children lead workshop for doctors
In a paradox of sorts, ophthalmologists in the city on Sunday took part in a workshop led by visually challenged children. They taught the doctors how they saw the world through Braille and how they utilised modern technology to be part of mainstream society.
Emotional session
The session turned out to be an emotional experience for the doctors as they stepped into the world of visually challenged persons, understanding orientation and mobility after being blindfolded, and getting the first lessons of Braille from the teachers and students of School for the Blind, Aluva, a Government-aided school run by the Kerala Blind School Society.
The workshop was organised by the Cochin Ophthalmic Club (COC) to mark World Braille Day on Sunday.
As Aibin C. Thomas, Manoj R. and Govind T.R., students of Class 7 demonstrated their ability to use modern gadgets such as smartphones and laptops to communicate, the audience was overwhelmed by the number of applications available on computers that aided the visually challenged.
Sunil Francis, a teacher at the School for the Blind, told The Hindu that modern technology had given the children vast choices to select their mode of learning. While the children learn all the concepts and Braille reading and writing till Class 7 at the special school, from Class 8 onwards, they join regular schools for integrated education.
COC president S.J. Sai Kumar told The Hindu that while the treatment of eye disorders was their forte, ophthalmologists had little idea about the rehabilitation of those patients for whom there was no cure.
“Ophthalmology as a science is not involved in how the visually challenged get back into the society. We thought of learning through a workshop and Braille Day was a starting point,” he said.
As part of COC’s programmes, rehabilitation of the visually challenged would be taken up as a priority.
Facebook comments