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WESTERN CAPE MEC FOR HEALTH JOINS US AS WE CELEBRATE A SPECIAL SIGHT SAVING PARTNERSHIP
On Tuesday, 3 November 2009, Mr Theuns Botha, MEC for health (Western Cape) joined LOFOB and 11 very happy candidates as we celebrated the gift of sight after successful cataract removal operations. The operations took place during eye care awareness week, Monday 5 to Friday 9 October 2009 and was made possible by a generous sponsorship from the Cape Eye Hospital and Nussbaum Foundation.
LOFOB is proud to have been instrumental in this initiative as we assisted candidates who have been on long waiting lists at State hospitals and could not afford to have the procedure done privately due to the high costs involved. State hospitals are inundated with requests for cataract removals but cannot meet the demand. Waiting lists are long and in the case of one of the beneficiaries, the wait was as long as 7 years.
The top 3 causes of blindness worldwide are: cataracts at 39.1%, uncorrected refractive errors at 18.2% and glaucoma at 10.1%.
Research indicates that 75% of blindness can be prevented and treated with early detection. Therefore, LOFOB is committed to continue its prevention of blindness programmes and will endeavour to be a part of an even bigger sight saving initiative in 2010.
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7 August 2009
Blind man exploited by metered Taxi Company
The League of Friends of the Blind [LOFOB] is furious about the reprehensible exploitation of blind people which came to its notice. “A few cases of alleged fraud and scamming of blind people have come to our notice recently and we cannot be silent on these matters” says Philip Bam, LOFOB’s Executive Director. He continues: “These incidents of conning unsuspecting and vulnerable people such as the blind, mentally disabled and our senior citizens is a blot on the good name of our nation and should not be tolerated or rationalised at all. Our nation is the poorer because of such dastardly deeds”.
One of the cases we are dealing with is that of blind Nicol Oosthuizen who made use of a metered taxi of Cab Express as he urgently needed to visit the doctor, after allegedly being refused a service from Dial-A- Ride, a subsidised public transport service for disabled persons,. He was allegedly referred to Cab Express who then despatched an independent operator-driver of the company. It is alleged that he was not told that the service is an independent metered taxi. What is more alarming is that when LOFOB took the matter up, they were informed that there is a sign on the taxi indicating that it is operated by an independent driver, under the auspices of the taxi company. How the blind man was supposed to see this signage boggles the mind. The driver then made the man’s acquaintance and offered to help him whenever he needed assistance. A few days later, Nicol received a call from the driver offering to collect him from his home and to transport him for a week from Bellville to Cape Town at an amount of R3500. On the third day the driver could not recall payment and forced the blind man to pay him again. These payments were done by cell phone. He also told Nicol that as a blind man he needed some excitement in his life and introduced him to pubs and prostitution. The blind man paid just under R10 000 in a space of 10-days for these dubious services perceived by the driver as favours.
Nicol Oosthuizen was born blind due to a medical condition, optical atrophy in which his optic nerves together with his pituitary glands never developed. This resulted in his emotional development being 20 years behind his age causing him to be on the developmental level of an 11 year old. This was something that the driver soon came to learn andallegedly took advantage of.
Numerous efforts were made by the Oosthuizen family to resolve the matter with Cab Express who claim they cannot take responsibility, as it is an independent driver. It was then that Retha Oosthuizen (Nicol’s mom) contacted the League Of Friends Of The Blind (LOFOB) for help. Meetings were held between LOFOB and Cab Express in an effort to resolve the matter and to date no response has been received. LOFOB also brought the matter to the attention of the Mayco member for transport of the City of Cape Town, the subsidising agency.
Should you require any further information you can contact LOFOB’s Public Relations Officer, Heidi Volkwijn (blind) on (021) 705-3753 or 0726030946
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4 August 2009
LOFOB ELECTS ITS LEADERS
LOFOB elected its new executive committee at it AGM on 30th July. Mr Lionel Jacobs. son of the founder, the Late Mr Isaac Jacobs, was re-elected as President. Mr Jacobs who is a corporate leader with extensive business experience brings a new dimension to the organisation. Mr Ernest James was elected Vice-President and Mr Richard Arends as treasurer. Other members of the new executive are: Mrs N v d Velde; Rev F W Farmer; Mr A Kotshoba; Mrs A Jacobs; Mr V G Adonis and Mr Ike Arendse.
LOFOB had a good year in spite of the economic challenges and continues to provide excellent services to visually impaired people. A feature of the AGM was the presentations by staff members who told about LOFOB’s international relationships. The training opportunity given by Perkins International in the area of service to the multi-disabled child and the best practice presentation done by LOFOB at the World Bliind Union General Assembly in Geneva in August 2008 demonstrated the extent to which LOFOB is respected throughout the blindness community in the world. The outreach into Africa assisted the Ghana Association of the Blind to establish its own sports and recreation service. The blind community of Zimbabwe recently approached LOFOB for assistance and with the co-operation of UNICEF, it might be possible for LOFOB to help blind sports people in that country.
The need for volunteers to assist with weekend driving duties is one of the major challenges facing LOFOB and people are invited to contact us at 0217053753 to offer their service. [END]
Thanks
Philip Bam
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MEDIA RELEASE- 24 MAY 2009
LOFOB BLIND BUDDY DAY LAUNCH SERVICE
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Sighted worshippers at St Martin’s Anglican Church in Bergvliet, shared a bit of what it is to be without sight at the launch of LOFOB’s BLIND BUDDY DAY at an inspiring worship service on Sunday 24 May 2009. Worshippers came to church with dark shades and many spoke of the sight limitations they experienced. The worshippers were addressed by Philip Bam, Executive Director of LOFOB and learnt about present day prejudices against blind people. Heidi Volkwijn, LOFOB’s PRO shared with the congregation the utter shock and dismay she expressed when a cell phone company called to sell her a mobile telephone. When she asked if the phone had an audio output as she is a blind person, the marketer exclaimed disbelief that a blind person could actually be employed and wanted to know why she would need a mobile telephone. The marketer promptly slammed the phone down. She recounted how a distance learning institution refused her the right to enroll when they discovered that her disability was not physical but that she was blind. LOFOB BLIND BUDDY day is an opportunity to work against these kind of prejudices and encourage inclusion of blind people into the mainstream economy and social life.
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Friday 29 May, people will walk with sunglasses, do some work under blindfold as an expression of solidarity with people who live without sight. LOFOB will end the day with a dinner-in-the-dark at the LOFOB Centre in Grassy Park where guests will be enjoying a meal in total darkness.
LOFOB’s mission is to promote the independence of blind people through various rehabilitation programmes including an Early Childhood Development centre for pre-school children with loss of vision. Sport and recreation including blind cricket forms part of the wellness programme being offered at LOFOB.
For more about Blind Buddy day and LOFOB, Heidi Volkwijn may be contacted on 0726030946 or 0217053753.
The attached photo( 008) is of the Aspeling family at the Blind Buddy Day Service; Dad – Clint; Mom- Manuela and daughter Celina.
Photo 010 is of City Councillor Dennis Joseph, a parishioner at St Martin’s attending the service.
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BLIND VOTER DISAPPOINTED - NO BRAILLE TEMPLATE
The League of Friends of the Blind [LOFOB] received reports that Braille templates are not available at some polling stations. We have been advised that at least two polling stations in the Cape Metro could not allow blind people a secret vote. Said one extremely disappointed blind voter:
" the voting station did not have a Braille voting template. The end result being my vote was not a secret. I feel rather disappointed because how do I know for a fact that the person who made the cross made it on the correct party of my democratic choice."
This is totally unacceptable and an insult to blind people. The objective with the braille template is to ensure a secret ballot but also equal rights with other voters. It is therefore an injustice to blind people when proper arrangements are not made to ensure the right to a secret vote.
The matter was taken up with the IEC who checked and later confirmed that the templates were received late at the IEC area office but it will be at the polling stations tomorrow.
The fact that party agents at these stations did not check on this says much about the value the political parties place on the vote of blind people.
Blind people deserve better.
ISSUED BY:
PHILIP M BAM
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: THE LEAGUE OF FRIENDS OF THE BLIND
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LOFOB ENCOURAGES BLIND PEOPLE TO CAST THEIR VOTE ON 22 APRIL.
The League of Friends of the Blind [LOFOB], a leading blindness organisation in the Western Cape and South Africa, call upon blind and partially sighted people to go out and vote on 22 April since provision has been made to ensure a secret ballot for blind people. In addition to the method used in previous elections where visually impaired people were able to cast their votes with the assistance of a person of their own choice over the age of 18, a Braille ballot sheet will be available at all polling stations.
This system will ensure that Braille literate blind people can cast their vote without any assistance. There will be a template for the national and provincial election. According to the IEC, the Braille ballot from left to right will have a number, the abbreviation of the party's name, and raised dots leading to a small window where the voter makes his or her mark. One in every four booths will be broader with a lower voting table and each queue at the polling stations will feed into an area where such a booth is available.
LOFOB’s mission is to ensure the integration of blind people and full and equal participation in the affairs of our economy and nation building. We welcome this initiative on the part of the IEC and encourage blind people to turn up in huge numbers at polling booths. LOFOB engaged with the IEC and blind people who attend LOFOB programmes were educated about this system. We look forward to blind people making their mark on our nation’s politics.
ISSUED BY: PHILIP M BAM, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: THE LEAGUE OF FRIENDS OF THE BLIND
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MEDIA RELEASE – 16th APRIL 2009
THE LEAGUE OF FRIENDS OF THE BLIND [LOFOB] LEADER HONOURED WITH CIVIC AWARD
 The League of Friends of the Blind [LOFOB] is pleased to announce that its’ Executive Director, Philip Bam was today honoured by the City of Cape Town with the mayoral medal for community affairs. The President, Executive members and staff congratulates Philip Bam on a well deserved honour. Services for blind people in the Western Cape and South Africa has benefited by his leadership and activism on behalf of blind people. The League of Friends of the Blind [LOFOB] under his leadership now offers a wide range of services to visually impaired people including an early childhood development programme for toddlers.
His selfless dedication to community service is worthy of emulation. Whilst he has said so many times that his commitment to his community work is not for recognition, we as a organisation appreciate the fact that his work is recognised in this particular way. LOFOB wishes to express its appreciation to the Mayor and councillor’s for this honour.
“This award and honour is accepted on behalf of the people that I am privileged to serve. It is indeed a blessing to a servant leader.” says Philip Bam.
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