Dear Editor:
Re: Try your hand at being blind, The Record, Feb. 22.
New Westminster Lions Club and Low Vision Group partners from the Century House Association are delighted that over 300 people attending their forum and exhibition on February 23 left the event actually "seeing things differently."
Some of the comments heard after the event included high praise for the quality of speakers and range of topics. Helen Hughan, CHA - Low Vision Group's Chair, remarked that friends from Vancouver and Richmond intended to hear Dr. Sunil Sachdeva's talk on ocular degeneration but remained for the entire day, gleaning information from all the speakers and specific exhibitors. CUPE B.C.'s Conni Kilfoil outlined the positive impact of "accommodation" which takes into consideration human and disability rights and how the interpretation of legislation can impact lives changed by misadventure or genetic anomaly. She, too, learned about Assistive Technology B.C., of which she was previously unaware.
Shawn Marsolais and her merry troupe of blind youth "actors" ably put a humourous spin on the "faux pas" of the sighted that they experience on a daily basis. Ray Smith, CUPE Ontario disability rights rep, put a human face on a tragic workplace accident that he transcended by turning it into a work asset, taking every available opportunity that came his way.
Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides always gather a crowd, and Gillian Lawrence's seizure dog, Curly, was a big attraction at noon, demonstrating and demystifying seizures. With practise, these specially trained dogs can predict seizures well in advance of their expression, allowing their handlers to prepare for an oncoming epileptic event, sometimes by up to an hour. She showed us how to help and that there was nothing to fear. We learned that dog guides are not just for the blind, but have extended to hearing, autism, special needs and coming this fall, diabetics.
Technological advances in adaptive devices would make Harry Potter's head spin. A wide array of tools are now available to bridge the chasm between the blind and sighted. This should go far to overcome blind inequities in the workplace. With only 25 per cent of blind people currently employed in the workforce, we expect this statistic to change considerably in future.
Remarkably, most of those in attendance, including city representatives felt that "Seeing Things Differently" put blindness in an entirely new light.
Louisa Lundy, event coordinator
