By Noimot Olayiwola
QATAR Social Cultural Centre for the Blind at the Youth General Authority organised a walk to mark White Cane Day at the Corniche yesterday.
The white cane is a tool used by the blind to navigate their environment.
White Cane Day highlights not only the ability of blind people to walk safely on city streets but also their emergence from poverty and isolation to full participation in community life.
The theme for the event, held for the second time in Qatar, was “My white cane illuminates my path”.
More than 600 volunteers including blind people, their family members and friends took part in the walk from the Orry statue to the Heritage village beside the Rumailah family park.
Speaking to Gulf Times, chief organiser Yousef Mohamed al-Moftah explained that the white cane was a means of independence for the blind. It could be of diverse design and recently colour variations had been introduced to identify blind people with special needs, such as the deaf-blind.
“The white cane is a symbol of the dignity and ability of blind people,” said blind volunteer Ali, one of 13 representatives from the Bahrain Friendship Society for the Blind.
Former UN special rapporteur on disability Sheikha Hessa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, who participated in the event, said the government should ensure the implementation of the International Convention on the Rights of People with Disability, which was signed into law in 2005.
“Qatar has always been at the forefront in the international arena and since the country has signed and ratified the convention, I think the next step is to put words into action by developing an action plan that can be used as tools to achieve our objective,” she said.
Sheikha Hessa said she would be more than willing to encourage activities and events that support people with special needs, despite having left the office of special rapporteur on disabilities.
Friends of the Environment Centre chairman Dr Saif al-Hajri lauded the international event, saying that it was important to integrate blind people in society.
Dr al-Hajri said specially challenged people have equal rights to education, health and other benefits as well as full participation in different fields.
Al Noor Institute general director Dr Hayat Khalil Hassan Nazar Heji said the event showed that Qatar was advancing in providing education to people with special needs.
Participants came from Qatari as well as expatriate schools across the country. |
