‘80% of blindness can be avoided’

According to the World Health Organisation, 39 million people are blind worldwide. It is estimated that there are between 15 million and 18.6 million people suffering from blindness in India. The Sightsavers Partners Meet was held in the city on Friday to spread awareness about blindness and how it can be prevented.

Sightsavers is working to eliminate avoidable blindness and promote equality of opportunity for disabled people in 33 countries.

Elizabeth Kurian, regional director (India),  Sightsavers, said: “A person who is born blind accepts the condition more easily than a person who becomes blind subsequently. A person who becomes blind at a later stage has the tendency to compare life before and after the blindness. This person has a better understanding of visual concepts such as shapes and sizes. This makes it more difficult for him or her to cope with the condition.”
However, the solution lies in the fact that 80% of the cases is avoidable.

“People continue to remain blind due to lack of awareness, access to cure and affordability. If we are able to tackle these three issues, a majority of the blindness could be avoided,” she said.
This, however, is easier said than done. “We are working with a backlog and elimination of avoidable blindness is indeed a mammoth task. Unless we have like-minded entities pitching in to touch people at the grass roots, the battle can never be won,” she added.

When it comes to rehabilitation of the blind, corporates can support rehabilitation in a big way. “With more organisations proactively coming forward to find ways of including the disabled in the workforce, more people with disabilities can become self-dependent," said Kurian.

It is mostly a question of will. “The education system can make a huge difference to help the blind. We know of several people with visual disabilities equipping themselves with  degrees that let them assume roles in mainstream workplaces,” she said. While hospitals and organisations that work towards the cause of the visually challenged are more receptive to employing them, the spectrum definitely needs to broaden, she added.