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Activists of the Public Organization “Al-Masar” and the religious community of Muslims of Odessa visited the regional organization of the Ukrainian Society of the Blind on November 13, 2012. They brought a big cake for all and small presents for everyone. In fact, people with sight disabilities had never been visited before on their job place where they could earn their living. 

 

 

According to the data from Labor and Social Policy Department at the Odessa City Council, Odessa has more than 1500 sight invalids, of which 944 have been officially registered. 

 

Mr.Edem Zeytullayev, the community chairman, spoke before the blind a welcoming address, in which he pledged that the Muslim community of Odessa would continue rendering them feasible aid and support. 

 

Mr.Gazi Mustafa, “Al-Masar” deputy-chairman, pointed out that each day of a blind person is a small deed in the eyes of the one who can see, as even walking along the streets without other’s assistance, with their rough asphalt and intensive road traffic, is dozen times more difficult for a blind person than for one who can see. A walking stick is a good helper, indeed, but it cannot help in finding a dowel bar that protrudes from the ground.

 

 

Although this first meeting was in the production shop, female activists from “Al-Masar” had been collaborating with the Society of the Blind for several months, by regularly supplying food for guide dogs of lone people, helping to display personal announcements in Internet and searching for needed information. Future plans involve organization of personal accompaniment for blind people by “Al-Masar” volunteers. 

 

It should be remembered that aid for sight invalids should be rendered by strictly following the principle of “golden mean”: they need compassion and support, and by no means pity and excessive care. The best thing to be done for them is to help them in adapting to daily life, to set up their contact with the outer world, to enable them to be independent to the largest possible extent.

 

The date for the International Day of the Blind was not chosen by mere chance, as November, 13, 1745 is the date of birth of Valentin Haüy, a well known teacher, the founder of several schools and factories for the blind in Paris and Saint-Petersburg. This date, therefore, laid the ground for the International Day of the Blind following the resolution of the World Health Organization. 

 

Education establishments for the blind had not existed before 18 century. Valentin Haüy was the first one to develop the embossed linear script “uncial”, by use of which blind people could be taught reading, and to open the school for blind children under the name “Workshop for the working blind” in his own house and on his own funds. His disciples were mostly blind waifs and strays, devoid of anybody’s care. 

 

Also, Valentin Haüy built devices for the blind and matrixes for making embossed illustrated manuals, maps and terrestrial globes. He taught this craft to his disciples. To him also belongs the idea of making books for the blind. In spite of huge material difficulties, Valentin Haüy built a printing shop at the school where he printed several books using the embossed linear print “uncial”. They were the first books for the blind, by which the blind could learn until the print of Louis Braille was invented (Louis Braille who was the student of the National Institute for Blind Children (Paris) developed the all-purpose system of embossed dotted script that would spread across the world).

 

Blind people across the world are nearly 124 million today. As estimated by the World Health Organization, by 2020 their number may grow twice.