Today I started attending a short tutorial session with a tutor, En. Fadzlin of the Malaysian Association for the Blind in Brickfields. Thank you En. Silatrurrahim for your kind attention and help in arranging this session as I need to learn the intricacies of using iPhone and computer for the visually impaired. I am full of admiration on how deft their fingers are at typing, touching, scrolling and searching what they want from their computer programs.
My relationship with MAB is quite recent but the people I have in contact with were marvelous. Pn. Sumitha, a glaucoma victim, is the Principal shared a lot of eye-opening experience of what the visually impaired people need. The few visually impaired people I talked to told me that I am lucky that my sight is taken away gradually and that now I can still drive and do my own things. En. Mano lost his sight after 3 months of glaucoma after a car accident. A delightful, smiling young man, Jason, who lost his sight at the age of 17, due to brain tumor is most encouraging. Now 23, he is a second year law student at a local college, shared with me that he had difficulty in accepting his condition at first but adjusted his life well and has a goal to achieve. Most of his friends have girl-friends but he has not. Though he didn't sound despondent, he must be feeling something. So we talked about the time he would qualify as a lawyer, earning his own living, independent and the girls will be there for him, blind or not. He just needs to focus now and insyallah, thing will fall into place. Furthermore, he is a good-looking young man. He thinks I don't need to learn braille as I am not sitting for exam and that many reading materials that I would need could be downloaded with voice over. At my age, I should avoid stress - a wise advice.
My tutor, En. Fadzlin, lost his sight at the age of 13, was able to finish his STPM, gained various working experiences before settling in teaching in MAB. He also shared stories of his young days as a student in school when blind students did not receive the attention they should receive. It didn't stop him from doing what he wanted to do. Now with 2 growing sighted daughters, they receive the guidance and support from their blind father. I suppose they are lucky compared to many children with sighted parents who neglected their children.
Talking to these few strengthened my belief that universities should accept blind students in counselling course and in many courses offered. There is a dire need for visually impaired counsellors to deal with issues experiencing by the visually impaired people. Only a visually impaired counsellor could understand their true feeling and emotion as they live in that world. I can understand their feelings but I know I wouldn't be able to put myself in their shoes and really internalize exactly their feeling, emotion and experience. I hope the power that be in the government and Ministry of Education is open enough to realize this and give the OKU the opportunities they deserve. Many of them are intelligent and can go far if given the attention and opportunities as normal individuals. Once they are in higher institutions of higher learning, they should be confident enough to let their lecturers or instructors know about their handicap and not just sit back and hope everyone understands and supports them. Lecturers are human beings, they can't read what you need, unless you tell them, not for sympathy but to present your case. I made mistake too for not knowing that a student was hearing impaired until way into the semester when his friend told me so. I was sorry for being hard on him but displeased he didn't come up to tell me. After that his seat was right in front of me. I suppose fear of strict lecturer and shame stopped him from coming forward. I believe there are many disabled people could excel if given the same opportunities as sighted people.
I hope universities and Ministry of Education do not give the same aged-old excuses such as, not accessible, not equipped, not capable, not ready, no facilities, no budget etc. etc. etc. All these excuses can be overcome almost immediately. Have a heart!!
I have 4 more sessions to attend and many more new experiences to come.
My relationship with MAB is quite recent but the people I have in contact with were marvelous. Pn. Sumitha, a glaucoma victim, is the Principal shared a lot of eye-opening experience of what the visually impaired people need. The few visually impaired people I talked to told me that I am lucky that my sight is taken away gradually and that now I can still drive and do my own things. En. Mano lost his sight after 3 months of glaucoma after a car accident. A delightful, smiling young man, Jason, who lost his sight at the age of 17, due to brain tumor is most encouraging. Now 23, he is a second year law student at a local college, shared with me that he had difficulty in accepting his condition at first but adjusted his life well and has a goal to achieve. Most of his friends have girl-friends but he has not. Though he didn't sound despondent, he must be feeling something. So we talked about the time he would qualify as a lawyer, earning his own living, independent and the girls will be there for him, blind or not. He just needs to focus now and insyallah, thing will fall into place. Furthermore, he is a good-looking young man. He thinks I don't need to learn braille as I am not sitting for exam and that many reading materials that I would need could be downloaded with voice over. At my age, I should avoid stress - a wise advice.
My tutor, En. Fadzlin, lost his sight at the age of 13, was able to finish his STPM, gained various working experiences before settling in teaching in MAB. He also shared stories of his young days as a student in school when blind students did not receive the attention they should receive. It didn't stop him from doing what he wanted to do. Now with 2 growing sighted daughters, they receive the guidance and support from their blind father. I suppose they are lucky compared to many children with sighted parents who neglected their children.
Talking to these few strengthened my belief that universities should accept blind students in counselling course and in many courses offered. There is a dire need for visually impaired counsellors to deal with issues experiencing by the visually impaired people. Only a visually impaired counsellor could understand their true feeling and emotion as they live in that world. I can understand their feelings but I know I wouldn't be able to put myself in their shoes and really internalize exactly their feeling, emotion and experience. I hope the power that be in the government and Ministry of Education is open enough to realize this and give the OKU the opportunities they deserve. Many of them are intelligent and can go far if given the attention and opportunities as normal individuals. Once they are in higher institutions of higher learning, they should be confident enough to let their lecturers or instructors know about their handicap and not just sit back and hope everyone understands and supports them. Lecturers are human beings, they can't read what you need, unless you tell them, not for sympathy but to present your case. I made mistake too for not knowing that a student was hearing impaired until way into the semester when his friend told me so. I was sorry for being hard on him but displeased he didn't come up to tell me. After that his seat was right in front of me. I suppose fear of strict lecturer and shame stopped him from coming forward. I believe there are many disabled people could excel if given the same opportunities as sighted people.
I hope universities and Ministry of Education do not give the same aged-old excuses such as, not accessible, not equipped, not capable, not ready, no facilities, no budget etc. etc. etc. All these excuses can be overcome almost immediately. Have a heart!!
I have 4 more sessions to attend and many more new experiences to come.
