Blind Awareness Day - Eco Education

Blind Awareness Day was celebrated at WHPS on Friday, the 26th of September 2008. It is part of the Eco-Educational initiative to attain Green Flag Accreditation for the school.

Grade 4 Naidoo was involved in many activities to highlight awareness of the blind, their coping mechanisms and their courage and determination in life.

The boys began with a blind walk activity, which included fetching specific items from their bags which were in their lockers or outside the classroom with their eyes closed as if they were blind. They then had to place these items, which included a ruler, a red pen and their English Comprehension Book, in a particular order. The boys were very grateful for the orderly layout of this familiar room. Nevertheless, they conceded that it was not an easy task.

The second activity of the morning was the discussion and paragraph writing on the two stories about Eric Weihenmayer and Louis Braille. The boys were very impressed, especially with the athlete's achievements. Many boys were highly motivated about his successes in spite of his disabilities. They expressed empathy for the blind and several mentioned or noted that being blind does not mean it's the end of a person's life.

Those boys then took part in a tactile activity, which was followed by a written comprehension called The Absence of Darkness. These activities of the day definitely fostered a greater respect for the blind and the disabled. It motivated, it inspired and it encouraged appreciation for the gifts of the senses, which many people, both children and adults, take for granted.

Sheila Naidoo
Educator: 4N

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