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Take Action Now To Help Blind Americans | |
There are many things you can do on a daily basis to help make it possible for blind people to live full, happy, and productive lives. Here are specific actions we urge you to take: Get to know a blind person on a personal basis—as one of your neighbors, a member of your church, a fellow student, or worker. It is lack of information and understanding which causes some of the biggest problems blind people face. Inform yourself about the abilities and capacities of blind people as employees. Write to us for information and then talk to employers you know about what you have learned. The 70 percent unemployment rate among the blind can be lowered if people like you help convince others that blind people can be productive employees. |
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Encourage individuals with failing eyesight to seek help. Often people (especially the elderly) simply give up, sinking into despair and loneliness when their vision begins to fail. Inform yourself about assistance that is available and help those who need it to get it. Circulate information about resources for the blind to nursing homes and other organizations serving the elderly. Many of the 50,000 Americans who become blind each year are elderly persons who have never had contact with blind people or with service programs to help them. They do not know about such simple things as talking books, large print and recorded Bibles and news magazines, talking alarm clocks, or Braille playing cards. You can make a real difference in the quality of their lives by helping them learn of these things. Help find ways to ensure that blind children in the public schools are given the opportunity to learn Braille. Although Braille is as important to a blind child as print is to a sighted child, most blind children are never given an opportunity to learn it. Inform yourself about the value and uses of Braille and become active in your community in insisting that the opportunity to learn Braille is offered to all blind children. Provide help to individual blind people. Volunteer to read, drive, assist with shopping and other errands. Some blind people have difficulty finding assistance in these areas and would greatly appreciate your help. Share what you learn about blindness with others. Spread the word that blindness need not be a tragedy—that blind people can live full and productive lives—to your family, friends, neighbors, church, school, and community leaders. This is perhaps the single, most important thing you can do to help solve the problems faced by blind people. If you need help, or know someone who does, please
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