The South African Libraries For The Blind Project will afford visually impaired people an opportunity to be able to read books and access information online with ease through the installation of computers designed specifically for visually impaired people.

Despite this new facility offering hope to visually impaired people, many blind people in rural areas remain unemployed with limited opportunities.

High unemployment among disabled

Speaking during the project activation at the Thulamela Public Library, in Thohoyandou, the director of library services in the province, Collins Thovhakale, said disabled people are still overlooked when they apply for employment. The result is a high rate of unemployment among the disabled. He said the project should be used to empower disabled people by offering them jobs.

“Disabled people in the province are not being considered for proper employment despite having good qualifications. Most of our libraries lack librarians yet we have so many people who are qualified for the job,” said Thovhakale.

“In most cases we only think of disabled people when we want to host events to celebrate their disabilities. But when it comes to serious issues like unemployment we do not consider them. People with disabilities must be employed in high numbers and they must be given first preference when they apply for jobs,” he said.

The spokesperson for the disabled people in Vhembe, Ndishavhelafhi Mphaphuli said most educated disabled people have proper qualifications, but they continue to sit at home without jobs.

Equal treatment essential

“We also need proper jobs as we have our own needs. But it seems like people are not prepared to hire us as we are only offered short term contracts which are not enough to sustain us. We have been complaining about this issue for years,” said Mphaphuli.

He added: “The only solution we can use to create jobs for ourselves is to start our own businesses as it seems like it’s the only way out of this situation which we find ourselves in.”

CEO of South African Library for the Blind, Francois Hendrikz, said that people with visual impairment should be treated the same as normal people.

“We all have the right to access information and this project gives that opportunity to blind people,” he said. – Health-e News.

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Ndivhuwo Mukwevho