Call for production of smart, sustainable white cane locally

Rights activists have called for taking necessary steps for the production of sustainable and improved smart white cane for visually impaired people at both public and private level in the country.

They made the call at a programme organised by Blind Education and Rehabilitation Development Organization (BERDO) at its Rupnagar office, marking World White Cane Safety Day-2022, said a press release.

On the occasion, BERDO also held a rally and a workshop the whole day on Saturday.

Executive Secretary of Bangladesh National Social Welfare Council Mohammad Jashim Uddin was present as the chief guest.

In his speech, he lauded the proposal of producing smart cane at home, saying that it would also save our foreign currency. He also stressed on raising awareness on ensuring the rights of people with disabilities.

Chaired by Md Jahangir Alam, executive council member of BERDO, Husne Ara Begum, Treasurer of BERDO, Selim Uddin, Deputy Director of BERDO, and a number of visually impaired participants also spoke at the discussion.

At present, smart cane, which is more helpful to visually people, is mainly imported from abroad. But the imported canes are costly and it is tough for the disabled people to get it, as most of them are poor, they observed.

Steps should also be taken so that those poor people can easily get it at chief price, they said this while addressing a discussion meeting and cultural programme in the capital.

If made at home, price of smart cane would come down, benefitting the disabled people. Measures should be taken so that the cane users get support in their movement outside, they added.

Executive Director of BERDO Md Saidul Huq, who is visually impaired, stressed on building a rights-based inclusive society, and implementing job quota for people with disabilities and Persons with Disabilities Rights and Protection Act 2013, and raising monthly disability allowance at minimum Tk 5000.

There are about 1.50 crore people with different kinds of disabilities in the country. Of them, 20 lakh are visually impaired. If they are neglected, it would be tough for us to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as SDGs focuses on leaving none behind, said Saidul Huq.

Md Musherraf Hossain Mazumder, a Supreme Court lawyer who is visually impaired, demanded including people with disabilities into the mainstream of society and making all structures suitable for their use.

Smart canes were distributed among five visually impaired students at the event on behalf of BERDO.