NCC distributes white canes to visually-impaired persons

The Director General of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Dr John Asein, has distributed white canes to visually impaired individuals in Akwa Ibom State.

Asein made the distribution during the commemoration of the World White Cane Safety Day in Uyo on Wednesday, urging them to tap into their creative potential.

Our correspondent reports that the theme for this year’s celebration is, ‘Vision Beyond Sight: Celebrating Independence, Resilience and Recognising Achievements of The Blind.”

World White Cane Day is observed every October 15 to celebrate and advocate for the independence, dignity, and rights of people who are blind or visually impaired.

Asein emphasised the importance of creativity and innovation among persons with disabilities.

“This year’s theme is a clarion call for them (the blind) to know that, however, they find themselves, it does not mean that they cannot contribute to society.

“For instance, the men who invented the white cane and the Braille reading system were blind. So we have a lot of inventions from the blind.

“We have a lot of known people who are blind medically and legally, and they are doing very well. So, they just need to be given the right opportunities and the environment to be able to create.

“You can imagine the number of children that are losing their vision because we are not giving them access like other children, for them to be able to bring what they have inside of them. So we must provide for the blind community to help them reach their potential.”

The DG noted that the commission was committed to promoting inclusivity and providing opportunities for persons with disabilities to contribute to the creative industry.

He said that the commission was looking at draft regulations for authorised entities.

“It is a frame that will ensure that those who want to produce books or publications in braille or other accessible formats are more organised and trusted.

“Hopefully, the confidence of publishers and authors will be brought in, and we will be able to get more books for the blind to access in their format,” he said.

The director general appealed to the Akwa Ibom Government to enforce the disability law, expressing that such a move would make every public building accessible to people with disabilities, and it would further deepen inclusivity.

The President of the Nigerian Association of the Blind, Mr Stanley Oyebotun, expressed gratitude to the commission for the donation.

He urged the people to avoid stigmatisation of the visually impaired persons as they have contributed their quotas to society.

He pledged that the white canes would be utilised to enhance their mobility and independence.