Eye Care Awareness Month

Council’s Bureau –

Giving back the gift of sight

The Bureau for the Prevention of Blindness, Council’s Eye Care Services Division, is coordinating and conducting various cataract blitzes (high volume of cataract surgeries) in five of our provinces during the month of October in order to put eye care services in the reach of under-serviced, rural communities.

Each cataract surgery, which is performed in under 30 minutes, gives the gift of sight back to each patient – and the Bureau plan to be instrumental in giving this gift to as many as 600 people!

These blitzes take place as part of the Eye Care Awareness Month (ECAM) campaign. ECAM is a South African initiative held annually in the month of October in order to raise awareness about the importance of eye health, specifically around the prevention and treatment of avoidable blindness. International World Sight Day, which is held on 8 October, is an important day within the ECAM calendar.

75% of blindness is avoidable either through prevention or through treatment – which is why ECAM’s message: ‘get your eyes tested at least once per year’, is so important!

The Blind Parliament

Every second year, the South African National Council for the Blind hosts its Biennial Conference, which has come to be known as the Blind Parliament. This year’s 39th Blind Parliament will be conducted in Mmbatho in the North West from 13 – 15 October.

The Parliament will be attended by 70 of Council’s Member Organisations from across the country. The who’s who of the blindness community will be in attendance, as will two guests of honour – author of the biography ‘Louis Braille: A Touch of Genius’ – Mr. Michael Mellor, and the Honorable Minister of Women, Children and People with Disabilities – Ms. Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya.

The 39th Blind Parliament takes place in a very important year for the blindness community at large and Council in specific – 2009 is both the 200 year anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille as well as the year of Council’s 80th birthday. The Blind Parliament will also coincide with our Bureau’s cataract blitz in Mafikeng from 14 – 18 October, which is taking place as part of the Eye Care Awareness Month campaign.

The Blind Parliament serves as a platform for Council’s Member Organisations to meet and discuss strategic planning, make resolutions, as well as to elect Council’s Office Bearer’s for the following two-year period. The agenda will include the following items of interest: a session with various addresses on braille in this, the Louis Braille Bicentenary year, chaired by Christo de Klerk, Chairperson of BrailleSA; a session relating to voting by the blind, chaired by Council’s present Deputy Chairperson – Advocate Lucky Bokaba; the election of Office Bearers; a session presenting various assistive devices and technologies for use by blind and partially sighted people; a session discussing the mandate of the new Ministry of Women, Children and People with Disabilities as well as a discussion around the National Disability Policy and the Nation’s Convention
on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Furthermore, a Gala Dinner will be held on the first evening of the Conference, during which, Council’s Highest Honour – The RW Bowen Medal for Lifelong Meritorious Service to the Blind – will be bestowed on two special recipients.

A press conference will be held in Mmbatho during the 3-day Blind Parliament. Invites for this will be sent to media on Monday 12 October.

For further information, please contact:

Stacey Love

/ Communications Officer / 072 433-7576 / stacey@sancb.org.za or

Madalein Greyling

/ Access Manager / 084 240-8900 / madalein@sancb.org.za