As the Blind Welfare Association commemorated International World Sight Day, yesterday, manager of the San Fernando branch Deonarine Ragoo made an appeal for the Government to increase its annual subvention.
Ragoo said the $9 million received from Government was insufficient to manage the association's operational costs which were in excess of $12 million.
Ragoo said if the amount was increased, the group would be able to offer developmental programmes to its members. He was speaking to the media following a presentation of five telescopic walking canes made by the Lions Club, Les Efforts, San Fernando. Making the presentation were president of the club Jennifer Jackson, membership director Jennifer Joseph, and webmaster Bernadette Roberts.
"We have been grappling with trying to meet that overhead expenditure yearly, we are always short by two or three million. We depend on sales from our products, donations, sponsors and fund-raising to get by. If Government offset that cost, then we can use the monies raised towards development programmes for the blind and visually impaired," he said.
He said members have shown interest in training in a variety of fields, including music, cottage industries and academia. The association, he said, already offered classes in braille, computer literacy and basket weaving. Ragoo applauded Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley's encouraging citizens to engage and promote volunteerism. He called on the public to give of their time to the association.
The association, he said, was also in the process of gathering information to create its own national registry and urged the public to contact them regarding blind or visually impaired people in their communities. This database, he added, would assist in conducting needs analysis, planning and preparing suitable programmes, as well as gauging the population of the blind and visually impaired communities.
Ragoo said they were aware that there were children being kept away from school because of their visual disabilities. He said he had been working alongside the Education Ministry to seek out the parents and guardians of these children so that they could be enrolled in schools.
As for the new canes, Ramdeo said, they would be distributed to members who needed them the most.