Visually challenged/blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or psychological factors.
According to WHO estimates in 2002, the most common causes of blindness around the world are: Cataracts (47.8%), Glaucoma (12.3%), Ureites (10.2%), Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) (8.7%), Trachoma (3.6%), Corneal Opacity (5.1%) and Diabetic Retinopathy (4.8%).
In India, the earliest school for the blind was founded at Amritsar by English missionaries, followed by schools at Calcutta and Ranchi. Till date, there are only about twenty organizations for the blind in India, and of these, few have resources adequate to care for more than a dozen or two of the thousands of blind children. In most of such schools, only the most elementary curriculum of reading, writing and arithmetic is attempted, together with a little handwork, and few children remain at school long enough to receive the real benefit. The parents are also disinclined to allow their children to attend.
It is indisputable that the major cause of all the issues is lack of financial resources. Though government grants are usually made towards the upkeep of schools which reach a reasonable standard of efficiency, still much more is needed which can be done by NGOs and individuals. Encouragement and awareness is also required, especially in the rural areas, among the blind and their family about the importance of educating them.
Education can turn them from being deemed as a liability to an asset to the society by utilizing their full potential! While there are many NGO specifically working with the blind, we still have a long way to go.
We urge you to share your ideas and come forward to help in whatever way you can! We think the start of an equal and just society starts with the appreciation of its issues.