OUTAPI – The white cane day symbolising the visual impaired mobility was celebrated with a stark reminder the visually impaired centre could close down next year because of a lack of funds.
The Namibian Federation of Visually Impaired says the centre that rehabilitates the visually impaired faces closure if government does not take over the federation’s financial support.
This came to light when the centre marked white cane day at Outapi on Wednesday.
Currently the rehabilitation centres are funded by foreign donors, but their contract ends by next year leaving the centre’s future in jeopardy.
Since the inception of the centre in 2009 it has rehabilitated 139 visually impaired people.
In addition it reached 164 visually impaired and 130 caretakers between 2011 and 2013.
Danie Trum, the national coordinator of the Namibian Federation of the Visually Impaired called upon the government to intervene and act according to article 26 of the UN convention to provide rehabilitation centres to people with disabilities. He says government has been unable to implement the UN convention agreement.
“According to Article 26 of the UN convention on human rights of persons with disabilities, state party should provide the rehabilitation services to people with disabilities. However, due to lack of implementation, little has been done regarding rehabilitation services in Namibia,” said Trum.
The federation reported it ordered 20 canes from South Africa for N$20 000 which are still seized by customs and excise at the border because the organisation cannot afford to pay custom duty of N$10 000.
Trum wants government’s intevention because the canes were supposed to be handed over to the visually impaired by the organisation as part of its social responsibility programme.
So far, the Ministry of health and Social Services donated 15 white canes to the federation adding to the 21 that were donated in 2012.
He called upon society to stop discriminating people with disability especially the churches that regard disability as evil or those living with disability to have been possessed by demons.
He said such practises have caused families living with people with disabilities to neglect their people and feel uncomfortable in their society.
He also expressed dissatisfaction with the way town and roads are designed in the country.
He said the current roads are not user-friendly because of many visually impaired obstacles such as stones and pavements.
“This forces visually impaired persons to walk on the roads to avoid bumping into things,” he said.
He noted the perception disability is a medical issue should be dealt away with stressing it has contributed to the ignorance and discrimination towards people living with disabilities.
He urged national leaders to consider creating reasonable accommodation and adjust the environment to fit the visually impaired people.
He said his organisation will strive to ensure negatives attitudes portrayed against the visually impaired are changed from negative to positive.
The national white cane safety is a national observance around the world day and has been celebrated worldwide since 1964 after a proclamation by the American president.
In Namibia it has been celebrated since 1992.