For getting around the city, a white cane alone isn't enough!

From family restrictions and urban barriers to education and livelihood problems, blind people need equal opportunity and accessibility for independent living more than they need sympathy.

Ambassador Arjan - Community Group: The world is not the same for everyone; For some, knowing the world does not start from looking, but from the touches, sounds and images that they cultivate in their minds.

In our country, about one million citizens live with blindness; People whose challenges are not limited to not seeing, but sometimes start from home and family and continue to the streets, public transportation, educational centers, social services and cultural spaces.

Crossing the street where the drivers do not pay attention to the white cane, moving on the sidewalks that are blocked by various obstacles or going to the centers that do not provide the possibility of independent use of services, are only part of the difficulties that blind people face in their daily life; Difficulties that in many cases come not from blindness, but from the inaccessibility of the environment and neglecting the needs of these people.

October 23, equal to October 15, is the International Day of the Blind; The day, which is also known as White Cane Day, is an opportunity to pay attention to the rights, abilities and demands of people who, like other citizens, have the right to live independently, be present in society and benefit from urban and social facilities.

But the question is, to what extent are our city, family and society ready for the independent presence of blind people? Does what is known today as support for these people really help increase their independence or sometimes unintentionally add to their limitations?

In order to examine these challenges, from family and urban obstacles to educational, cultural and livelihood problems of blind people, we have talked with Amir Sarmedi, a member of the board of directors and director of public relations of the Iranian Association of the Blind, a member of the board of directors of the Center for People with Disabilities in Tehran Municipality and the secretary of Region 1 of this center.

family; The first obstacle or the first supporter of independence?

Part of the challenges of blind people starts from the home environment and the way the family views disability; Where excessive support sometimes leads to limiting the opportunity to experience and learn.

Referring to the problems within the families of blind people, Sarmedi says: Many families of blind people are facing the problem of accepting their child's disability. This issue makes them want to help a visually impaired person, but this help sometimes makes them not successful in doing personal work and achieving individual independence.

He believes that this issue is more common among blind girls and explains: The family does not allow their daughter to learn life skills and does not allow her to enter the society and move around the city alone.

According to Sarmedi, such restrictions affect the later years of life and may take away opportunities for education, employment and marriage.

He says: When a person has not learned the basic skills and cannot travel alone in society, naturally, part of the opportunities in life are taken away from him. This is one of the main challenges within the family.

The issue of marriage of visually impaired people is also one of the other issues that, according to this activist in the field of the blind, sometimes faces resistance from families. People who have reached a degree of independence usually tend to marry someone who is blind or partially sighted; For example, a blind person and a visually impaired person or two blind people marry each other. But sometimes families resist this decision and cannot trust their child's choice; While Sarmadi believed, the decision-making responsibility should be on those two people.

Referring to the experience of blind couples, Sarmedi says: if these people have learned basic skills during their lifetime, they can live an independent life. Today, we have many blind couples living together and with the help of technology, they have overcome many of the challenges they face. They even have children and live comfortably.

According to him, these experiences can be significant for families who have a negative view of visually impaired people marrying each other.

From unsafe sidewalks to inaccessible subways

After the family, the urban environment is one of the most important factors that can strengthen or challenge the independence of blind people. Blocked sidewalks, unforeseen obstacles, parked cars on the way, and not respecting the rights of blind pedestrians make it difficult for these people to commute daily.

Pointing out that the term "accessible city" has been mentioned many times by officials in recent years, Sarmedi says: the reality is that we, at least in Tehran, where we live, are far from an accessible city for people with disabilities; However, Tehran's situation may be better compared to the average of some other cities and provinces.

Stating that urban furniture does not have the necessary standards for different groups of people with disabilities, he emphasizes: In recent years, many efforts have been made, but we still have a significant distance before we can say that urban passages are accessible for blind and partially sighted people.

According to Sarmedi, sometimes executive actions at the city level create more obstacles instead of facilitating transportation. For example, concrete platforms placed at the intersection of some sidewalks and streets can be problematic for a blind person with a white cane to cross.

He explains: When a blind person wants to cross the sidewalk with a white cane, his cane or foot may hit these platforms and get injured. They place these platforms with the justification that the motorcycle does not enter the sidewalk, while the motorcycle easily passes through them, and in practice, an obstacle has been created for the blind person.

A law that is not enforced in the street

Another problem is drivers' inattention to the rights of blind people when crossing the street; An issue that, according to Sarmadi, along with the lack of sufficient culture, can bring serious risks.

Referring to the regulations regarding the white cane, he says: According to the law, the white cane of a blind person when crossing the street has the status of a red light, and drivers are obliged to stop in front of a blind person who wants to cross with a white cane. Even for not complying with this issue, a fine has been considered.

However, Sarmedi believes that when this law is not respected and the necessary culture building is not done by the radio and television, blind people will face problems in urban traffic.

He reminds that many people do not know that a blind person may be delayed for several minutes while traveling alone in the city to cross a street; A situation that, in addition to being difficult, also entails risks for him.

According to Sarmadi, the problems are not limited to crossing the street. Many times, cars park at intersections, right at the pedestrian crossing or in front of the bridge that is over the water and block the traffic.

Placement of shopkeepers' and peddlers' stalls in the middle of the sidewalk, non-standard canopies with low height, and scaffolding whose iron bars are not protected by foam or proper covering are other obstacles that may injure blind people while traveling.

These problems are also seen in public transportation. Referring to the state of the metro, Sarmadi says that the loudspeakers that announce the names of the stations are sometimes off or announce the names of the stations incorrectly. In such a situation, a blind or partially sighted person who cannot read the name of the station on the signs faces a problem to recognize his position.

He emphasizes that accessibility problems are not limited to blind people and other groups of people with disabilities face similar obstacles; For example, there are no elevators in some stations or urban spaces, and a person who uses a wheelchair cannot practically benefit from the facilities of that place.

public and internet services; Independence that is not yet complete

The independence of blind people is not only limited to the possibility of commuting in the city. They should also be able to do their personal work without unnecessary dependence on others when visiting banks, organizations, shopping malls and service websites.

Referring to the necessity of making public services accessible, Sarmedi says: When blind people enter an organization or institution, they should have the possibility to do their personal work independently. For example, in banks and shopping centers, facilities can be considered so that blind people can complete the forms by themselves when visiting.

In this context, he mentions the experience of the "banking service system for the blind" that was designed by the Iranian Association of the Blind in collaboration with one of the companies.

This system allowed blind people to complete bank forms by voice when visiting bank branches. After completing the form, the information was sent to the cashier's printer and a printed copy was provided to the bank employee. According to the bank's regulations, the blind person also recorded his seal, signature or fingerprint on the paper.

In this way, the process of completing the form was done independently through the system; But according to Sarmedi, this system did not spread further in the country's bank branches.

In shopping centers and stores, mechanisms can also be considered so that blind people, including blind couples who go shopping, have access to store items and can recognize and read the prices of products.

Sarmedi believes that many of these processes can be designed in such a way that blind people can do them without the help of others.

Internet services must also be accessible

The expansion of digital technologies has provided new opportunities to increase the independence of blind people; However, taking advantage of these opportunities depends on compliance with accessibility standards in the design of websites and software.