PESHAWAR: It was the sunny day of October 15 when an aged man having white cane in his hands was moving towards a class room in Government School for Blind, Nishtarabad. It was the headmaster Israr Shah of said school who is spending his life more happily with the help of white cane then normal people although he is blind.
While talking to Daily Times Shah said that he love his white stick as he loves himself. “This white cane is not only my need, but this is my best friend and helping me to spend the life happily”, Shah said bending his white cane in his hands.
The President of United States annually observes White Cane Day by the blind Americans equality day proclamation on October 15th to acknowledge the abilities of people who are blind and to promote equal opportunities as any individual.
The mission on said day is to educate the world about blindness and how to blind visually impair can live and work independently while giving back to their communities.
“White cane is our courage, it is the symbol of peace and stability, it shows to the world that we are peaceful people, as white color is the representation of peace” Israr shah added while binding his white cane.
He said that blind people can feel anything while touching it with the help of said stick and listening. They can judge the voice of falling something on ground, its capacity, its nearness only through listening power.
The principal of Government school for blind, Nishtarabad said that the school was founded in 1960 and at that time it was a primary school, unfortunately the said school is still primary school.
He added that in Pakistani society people never leave their blind relatives to go to school without transport facilities. Same is the case here, there is no transport facility from government side to the poor blinds, as a result they failed to get the light of education and only 27 students are getting education in his school.
He appealed to the federal and provincial political leaders to provide transports facilities to their poor students and should think about the up gradation of school. While working on a computer Arif a grade five student said that they used a computer talking program, technical works like stitching chairs, Charpi (local made beds) and brail books for their studies.
He told that not only he but all the students are good users of computer as well. He added that number of doctors, engineers, scholars and many more are the product of said school.