Rehabilitation Programme Visits Rural School
Our orientation and mobility services continue to be an essential part of the training we offer to newly blind people as well as to blind people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Part of our rehabilitation programme takes us to schools to assist pupils and teachers on how to carry out basic skills and tasks of daily living. Our practitioners recently visited a rural school in Rustenberg where blind and […]
Victoria celebrates 25 years with Blind SA
I joined Blind SA on 1 July 1990 as a cleaner.” After attending night school and gaining her Matric Victoria then began working as a proofreader. This motivated her even more, “I realised that I shouldn’t be satisfied as just an employee and that I should learn how to read and write Braille even if I’m not blind.” With the help of […]
A slice of life by Tracy Smith
It baffles and amazes people every time I tell them that I live on my own. “How do you do it?” they always ask. I never know how to answer that one – it’s just something that I do. Living on my own has had some scary moments; like the time I accidentally short-circuited my – and my landlady’s – house by unknowingly having a […]
Petunia overcomes fears of blindness
Petunia Mapepha was working as a volunteer at the South African Police Service when one day she began experiencing headaches, dizziness and an eventual loss of vision. An appointment with an ophthalmologist and an unsuccessful operation later, Petunia turned to Blind SA for help. The Rehabilitation department warmly received her request and she soon began counselling with one of our […]
Braille leadership book a first
Leadership for All by Marius Ungerer, Hohan Herholdt and Jannie le Roux was recently translated into braille and launched at Stellenbosch University’s Business School (USB). This is the first translation of a book by a USB academic into braille. Dr Rowland, the guest speaker at the book launch is the honorary president of the South African National Council for the Blind. He said, “I have read lots […]
Blind Schooling in Crisis
Failure by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to provide access to adequate schooling, or any schooling for that matter, to countless disabled pupils is a major threat to their livelihood and dignity. A survey into schools for visually impaired children in South Africa was recently conducted by the rights organisation SECTION27, and here’s some of their findings: Limited availability of textbooks, workbooks and teachers’ guides in […]