The South African Library for the Blind’s Director, Francois Hendrikz says there are currently only 22 schools in the country for visually impaired pupils. He says the training of teachers to teach brail needs to be improved. 

Hendrikz says aside from engaging schools for the visually impaired to improve the standard of learning, more still needs to be done to improve school libraries and the provision of teacher-learning material. “Most of these 22 schools sit without a school library. This is not unique, we know the situation in other schools in South Africa is the same. We felt as the South African Library for the Blind we may be able to assist the schools for the blind to at least set a basic facility with basic equipment and reading content to make it possible for all learners at particular schools to read”.

He says in their visit to the Bartimea School for the Deaf and Blind in the Free State last week to celebrate the national library week, it was discovered that although the facilities are very modern as compared to other schools in the country, their setback is a lack of a a school library.

Hendrikz says most of the schools for the visually impaired are without libraries, while those that have them are not adequate and without a librarian. He says this disadvantages learners. Hendrikz says they are to engage different schools to at least set up facilities to make reading material available at schools.

He says there remains a need to raise an awareness that visually impaired people are equal citizens and have the same reading and information needs as any other person. Hendrikz says the South African Library for the Blind welcomes any donations to assist blind schools and people across the country.  

Katleho Morapela/OFM News