Blind and visually impaired association members call on President Ramkalawan |30 April 2022

Mrs Hoareau and Mr Calle (right) called on President Ramkalawan yesterday (Photo: Thomas Meriton)

Two representatives of the Seychelles Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired ‒ Rosabelle Hoareau and Philippe Calle ‒ called on President Wavel Ramkalawan at State House yesterday morning.

Mrs Hoareau is the secretary of the association and Mr Calle is a member and they discussed two most pertinent issues with President Ramkalawan among different challenges being faced by blind people in Seychelles.

Those are the need for a meeting place for blind people and education of visually impaired children.

“It has been three years since the association exists and we do not have a place for us to meet. We are looking for a place that should be on the ground floor to ease the movement of our members. This place will be used to meet with parents, psychologists and to give support to and train blind people how to use different equipment. The President has assured us he will discuss the matters with the Ministry of Education. He also said if any private person has an available space and wants to help the association to please come forward,” said Mrs Hoareau.

With regards to the education of visually impaired children, Mrs Hoareau said these children and their families are facing a lot of challenges.

“We have one on Praslin and the rest are in Plaisance school. The children are being left behind as they do not have proper equipment and teaching aids. It’s the parents who become the carers or the teachers without any pedagogical training. We will have to have further discussion with the Ministry of Education on that subject,” shared Mrs Hoareau.

The Seychelles Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired was founded in November 2018. It has resumed training to help the blind use their equipment and the children recently received two braille machines to help them with reading

Vidya Gappy