By V. Sivaji
In order to raise awareness for the blind and the visually impaired community, the St Nicholas’ Home celebrated the White Cane Day 2024 with a morning walk along Gurney Drive here.
Some 110 participants took part in the meaningful gathering.
The visually impaired were escorted by the able bodied participants while others wore eye masks to get a feel of not having the ability of sight.
Present at the event was Penang Island City Council Mayor Dato A Rajendran, Penang Port Sdn Bhd chairman, Dato Seri Syed Mohamed Syed Murtaza Dato V. Sasedharan and several councillors.
Also present was Rt Rev Dr Stephen Soe Chee Chang, chairman of St Nicholas’ Home and his team.
Rajendran also sounded the siren to mark the start of the walk.
The 1.4km route took participants along the scenic route which is a popular venue for joggers and walkers daily.
The initiative is also to draw attention to the challenges faced by visually impaired individuals, particularly in terms of public accessibility and mobility and advocated for accessible infrastructure and inclusive policies.
Meanwhile, through the White Cane Day, St Nicholas’s Home aims to raise awareness about the white cane’s critical role as a symbol of independence and mobility for the blind and visually impaired.
It also advocates the rights of these people, underscoring the importance of accessibility and inclusivity in society thus encouraging communities to support efforts that enhance the quality of life for individuals with vision loss.
This year’s gathering was supported by the Penang Port Sdn Bhd, Penang Island City Council and the Penang State Government.
Sasedharan, Syed Murtaza and other council officials sportingly joined the visually impaired participants in the morning walk too.
Founded in 1926, St Nicholas’ Home has been dedicated to providing a wide range of services and training for the blind and visually impaired across Malaysia.
Funds raised from the public goes directly to support various programmes and services like the Early Intervention Centre, (EIC), Deaf-Blind & Muiti-Handicapped Programme, Skill Development Centre, Massage Training Centre, Information Technology Training Centre, Pastry Training Centre, Handicraft Training Centre, Work Programme/On-Job Training among others.
