Yesterday, I had a visit to visual
defect school. I really enjoyed visiting the school as well as felt very sad to
see the blind children, but I had an awesome experience during this visit. The
school situated at Jalan Genting Klang, Setapak. It is a secondary school for the visually
impaired in Malaysia, established in a year 1974. The school was started as a
centre for visually impaired student around the country. Today there are more
than 180 students in the school with all basic amenities. The students in the
school are provided with food, education and health care. Apart from education
they also learn vocational skill, life skill and knowledge of using computer
and internet.
We were
greeted by teachers over there, who are an amazing person with incredible
passion to help those students with impaired vision. They are really passionate
while doing their work even some of them did not have a proper training to deal
with these special students.
The first thing I learned when visiting
the school is I should never give up or regret in life. Students over there
thought me a lesson on how they could survive in this world and able to do
thing like normal person does. In fact, they do not regret in their life. I
could see they are really enjoyed the school with their friends. They are
really helpful among themselves; the one with partial blindness helped those with
total blindness as guidance. They are cheerful all the time. On our visit to
the computer lab, I wonder how they use the computer. Computer applications and
operation has become possible for them with the software Job Access with Speech
(JAWS). This software allows the content on the screen to be read out to visual
impaired students and thereby allows them to "read" the screen.
Students can work on MS office and Internet without any problem except when
they are dealing with a picture or diagram. They can surf the internet, reading
the novels or news on internet, do assignments and print it on the Braille
printer. Student thought us that knowledge is important. This really moved me
very much.
Then I had met
a nice, humble and nice Malay girl at the library. Her name is
Syafiqah. She is one of the excellent students over there. I had a good
conversation with her, discussing on her life before and her dream after this.
She wanted to be a doctor, but because of her visual problem, she needs to
change her dream! Oh, what I have done with myself. I had this opportunity in
this field and yet, sometimes I don't give my very best. I felt ashamed to her.
She also told to me that to gain something, we must endure the pain. Then, she
told me that she aim to become a lecturer in linguistic. And I felt really
happy to hear her spirit to achieve her dream.
She is so motivated even in her condition right now and happy by the
friends around her.
Basically,
these students thought me many lessons. This was a real eye opener for me as it
taught me the realities and hardships of being blind. One should always
grateful if you are born normal. It taught me to appreciate how important our
sight is and yet we take it for granted. Thank to them. They really inspire me
very much.
