I cannot see the world, so why should the world see me?
Posted: May 2nd, 2012 | Author: Franziska | Filed under: China, Human Rights, Politics
Blind children learning to be independent
Can you imagine your world is dark? That you cannot see anything and are dependent on others, who perceive you as being less valuable because the chances that you can contribute to the society are almost zero? Can you imagine being excluded from social activities or losing your self-respect because you may not be able to support your family, as it is expected? Not?
These are the challenges and fears almost 6.7 million blind Chinese face every day. Countries in Asia have one of the highest rate of blinds globally. While Myanmar is the home of 8% of the blind world citizens, China already has a rate of 18%. Due to illnesses, serious injuries and accidents the number of blind persons in China is increasing each year by 450,000 people – meaning, approximately one person blinds every minute and that only in China.
Even though the number of blind people is so high, there is no or only little support for the affected and their families. In the rural areas of China the education for blind people is rarely developed, since there is a strict separation of regular and specialized schools. The Chinese government is already challenged to provide sufficient education to regular students, since many schools in rural areas are too expensive for the population. Therefore, many students in rural areas leave the school earlier than in developed areas and parents of blind children often decide to not send their children to school. Read the rest of this entry »
