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THE SPOTLIGHT ON THE THIEF OF EYESIGHT
On Friday, 12 March, attention will be focused on World Glaucoma Day. Glaucoma ranks among the top 3 causes of blindness worldwide with just over 10% of the world population living with the condition. Glaucoma is also known as the thief of eyesight. This condition manifests when the optic nerve is damaged by an increase of fluid in the eye. Some experts speculate that children and adults living with the condition may have an inadequate blood supply to the optic nerve, or that the tissues supporting the nerve are weak.
Research indicates that 75% of blindness can be prevented with early detection and this is especially true with Glaucoma as there are no warning signs other than the gradual loss of sight that people may not usually notice. Even though glaucoma cannot be cured, it can be treated. For this reason it is of utmost importance that eye examinations are done at least once every year. If it is detected in its early stages, before any sight is lost, blindness can almost always be prevented.
While the League of Friends of the Blind [LOFOB] continues to offer comprehensive rehabilitation services to blind people it continues to promote the prevention of blindness. LOFOB as part of its prevention of blindness and restoration of sight project wishes to focus people at risk on how it can be prevented. People who wish to find out more about this condition and how to save their sight can call the LOFOB offices on 0217053753.
Issued by: Philip M Bam
MEDIA RELEASE: WORLD BRAILLE DAY
The blind community of the world, will celebrate the birth of the inventor of Braille on 4th January. Louis Braille, born 201 years ago invented the Braille system of reading and writing which gave blind people access to the written word. Blind people throughout the world claimed this as the greatest gift ever.
The League of Friends of the Blind[LOFOB], offers Braille training to newly blinded adults in its Independence development programme. Every year a number of the trainees enter the National Braille Exam and receive certificates with distinction. This is testimony to the high standards delivered by the LOFOB Braille Instructors.
The onset of blindness in adult life is very traumatic as one of the main functioning losses associated with this is the loss of the ability to communicate. The world goes dark and a valuable social tool is lost. LOFOB, through its programmes assist the newly blinded person to regain some of the social functioning through its Braille training programme. The ability to read and write Braille opens doors to employment and renews social intercourse.
It is remarkable that the development of technology offering audio outputs, have not impacted negatively on the value of Braille to blind people. Braille remains the communication tool of choice, especially in view of the high cost of technology for blind people.
This year LOFOB will offer Braille training to at least 100 blind adults at its Independence Development Centre in Grassy Park. LOFOB is a member of the World Blind Union, representing over 160 million blind people throughout the world and joins the world community of blind people in marking this important occasion. Through the efforts of LOFOB, in collaboration with the other blindness agencies in the Western Cape, the blind Braille readers who completed matric in 2009 will each receive a Perkins Brailler which is the first time that blind school leavers will take with them the most important tool for study and further development. LOFOB is proud to be associated with this initiative.
LOFOB offers many other services to blind people including Orientation and Mobility; Home Management Skills; Sports and recreation and early Childhood Development. The cost of providing these services including Braille training is at least R32500.00 per person funded through the generosity of the public, corporate donors and the State.
For more information, please contact Philip Bam, Executive Director of LOFOB on 0836583885. [END]
ISSUED BY:
PHILIP M BAM
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