The Education Ministry’s Unit for the Blind launched a week of activities on Monday to observe Blindness Awareness Month 2019 which is done in the month of May.
Students at the Unit performing a musical rendition at the launching (Education Ministry photo)
Head of the Unit for the Blind, Haslyn Richards said that the Unit offers support to students that are in mainstream school. He said that this support is offered so that students that are blind or visually impaired can have quality education and accomplish their dreams.
Richards is quoted by the Department of Public Information as saying that parents of children who are either blind or visually impaired should give their child a chance to explore. He said that when children explore, they learn new things.
He advised that children must not be left out of the classroom. He said that they must be encouraged to ask questions, make new friends and participate in activities which would also help to build the child’s self-esteem.
Moreover, he remarked that Monday’s activity is good to raise awareness. He said that the public must realise that persons that are blind or visually impaired have normal lives and should be treated like normal people.
Roydon Maynard, who shared the history of the Unit, said that the 144 Albert Street building was commissioned on May 7, 2013.
Prior to having its own building at Albert Street, Maynard explained that the Unit was housed at the St Rose’s High School for 33 years, during which time it catered to the needs of a number of students up to the CSEC and GCE Advanced Level.
According to Ashley Gittens, a teacher in the Unit, Monday’s event sought to showcase the resources used to educate the blind and visually impaired students. Some of the items displayed came under various categories including craft, braille, technology, home economics and agricultural science.
Today, there will be a prize-giving ceremony, on Wednesday the Unit will host a career day and on Thursday, there will be an internal games day for the teachers and students. To end the week of activities, there will be a trip to Fort Island in the Essequibo River.
The week of activities was officially declared open by the Principal Education Officer, Volika Jaikishun, who said that the Education Ministry has grown to have its own Unit in Georgetown. However, she advised that in all of the administrative regions, the Special Education Needs Unit has centres that can cater to the needs of students that are blind or visually impaired.
She encouraged persons to take advantage of the opportunities that are available and to advise others to do the same since currently there are many stories of persons who are blind or visually impaired living satisfactory lives.
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