Future of Blind in Nepal: In 1981, the Nepal Blindness Survey found that 0.84% of Nepal’s people are blind, and 1.7% are blind in only one eye. Also, 90% of blind people live in rural areas. Because of this, blindness is a very serious public health problem that puts social and economic pressure on our country.
The data from the survey also revealed that cataracts affect 72% of people who have issues with their eyes. 80% of all cases of blindness are avoidable, which indicates that the condition can either be prevented or cured.
The number of blind people has dropped by half since eye hospitals opened in different parts of the country, according to the most recent survey on the issue. Right now, 0.39 percent of the people in Nepal have problems with their eyes.
The health care facilities are slowly getting better for those who can be cured, which is a very good thing. But what will happen with the blinds in Nepal in the long run? Let’s talk about future of blind in Nepal. Our only analysis will be what we talk about, and it has nothing to do with any government actions.
Future of Blind in Nepal: What Should be Provided?
1. Provide Free Education for the needy
The right to education gives people more freedom and makes it easier for them to use their other human rights. It also helps the future of the blinds.
Also, many blind children in rural Nepal don’t go to school at all, and many of them never get disability ID cards. Many teachers also don’t know much about how to support blind children.
To change how people think about blind people, the government should get organizations that work with disabled people and other community groups to work together and fight for the rights of blind students, especially girls, to an inclusive education.
2. Provide scholarships and financial assistance
We expect the government of Nepal to give students with disabilities scholarships for the parts of their education that aren’t already free.
As technology keeps making the world easier for people who can’t see to get around, we expect Nepal to become a friendlier place for people who can’t see, with touch-based navigation, audio textbooks, and dormitories that are easier to get into.
The government of Nepal should also give money to schools that offer special education programs for students with disabilities so that they can improve their physical infrastructure and other services and facilities.
4. Provide free health service
People with disabilities whose yearly salary is less than the amount set by the government or who are admitted to a government hospital for treatment of a disease set by the government should be strongly encouraged to get free health care and speech and occupational therapy.
5. Social Security
Social securities like;
- Build the housing for the community.
- Give the helpless children a place to live.
- Provide medicines and other things that will help.
- Provide unemployment, livelihood, and senior citizens’ allowances according to the rules.
- Pay allowances to the people who take care of people with disabilities in the situations listed.
- Pay allowances to the people who help people with disabilities in the situations listed.
6. Participation in the activities (Sports)
It would help the child a lot if special arrangements were made so that people who are blind could participate in sports activities on the same level as everyone else.
The organizations or bodies that are in charge of developing sports and putting on competitions should include visually impaired people in competitions related to sports. This will help develop and promote sports.
In fact, there are a lot of sports that have been changed so that blind or partially sighted people can play them with little or no changes. There are also new sports that people with vision problems can only do.
Sport has a lot of benefits for people who can’t see, like improving their overall health, making friends, keeping their balance, learning new motor skills, communicating, and working as a team. These benefits are important to daily life.
Future of Blind in Nepal: How to include them?
1. Vocational Training and Self-employment
Vocational training for people who are blind or have low vision to help them become more professional and create self-employment by improving their skills.
Visual impairments should start as early as potential and to include self-awareness and career guidance activities, job-seeking skills training, information about keeping a job, and opportunities to get work experience.
The blind or visually impaired student should be able to look into a wide range of careers in a planned and organized way since they won’t be able to observe these jobs in the same way that their sighted peers can.
2. To appoint the Blinds in Government
The government of Nepal can make it so that a certain number of visually impaired people have to be hired, depending on how many jobs are available and how physically able, trained, qualified, and experienced the visually impaired people are.
Future of Blind in Nepal: Who is responsible?
1. Government of Nepal
The Government of Nepal, Provincial Government, and Local Level shall be responsible for implementing or ensuring the effective implementation of the rights of visually impaired persons for the better future of blind people.
The government is expected to provide visually impaired individuals with as much assistance as possible. The Government of Nepal, Provincial Government, and Local Level shall be responsible for implementing or ensuring the effective implementation of the rights of the visually impaired.
2. Educational Institutes
It is the responsibility of the relevant educational institution to implement the education-related provisions of this Act for visually impaired individuals.
3. Family members and guardians
The family member or guardian must provide the visually impaired with care, support, and educational opportunities, taking into account the severity of the disability.
Nobody with a disability should ever have to leave their family’s home or experience family neglect.
4. Medical Doctor
If a medical doctor thinks there is a chance that a person coming to him or her for treatment may have a disability, he or she must tell that person and also treat the person in a way that takes that into account.
A medical doctor must treat a person with a disability in an environment that is friendly to people with disabilities, and he or she must give that person priority. If for some reason the doctor can’t treat the person, he or she must suggest a place where it might be possible.
5. Social Responsibility
Having social duties and responsibilities toward people who can’t see is especially important. It has already been said that all people are social, and people who are blind or have low vision are also part of this orderly society.
By taking care of their social responsibilities and duties toward people who are blind, people actually help to build a strong society and enhance the future of blind.
The sense of humanity that results from these values and inclinations manifests itself in the fulfillment of social responsibilities toward the visually impaired. Through these social responsibilities, people interact in society, and adhering to societal principles enriches a person’s humanity.
READ OUR BLOGS:
Rise of Ocular Problems in Nepal: How Can They Be Managed?
How Should I Interact with a Visually Impaired Person?
6 Useful Apps for Blind and Partially Sighted Users
Blindness and Visual Impairment and Their Causes in Nepal
Journey to Independence: Empowering Visually Impaired Youth through Vocational Training in Nepal
Visual Impairment and Transition from High School in Nepal
Government Contribution for the Blind in Nepal: Is it Enough?
Education for Special Children in Nepal: Visually Impaired Rights