Valletta’s bustling Republic Street proved a challenging obstacle for a group of blind and partially sighted white-cane users on a symbolic walk yesterday.
Members of the Malta Society of the Blind and the Malta Guide Dog Foundation made their way along the crowded pedestrian road in a symbolic gesture to mark International White Cane Day.
Foundation president Leon Sciberras said the event was aimed at spreading a message of inclusiveness.
“We have trained more than 25 guide dog users and want to train many more. Hopefully, more people will come forward for training and become more active in society,” he said.The clacking sound of white canes feeling for the bumpy Valletta paving was stifled by the boisterous charge of window-shopping pedes-trians, taken aback by the wave of Labrador guides in the capital’s shopping district.
“I’m glad to see so many visually impaired people out and about, even though I’m scared of dogs,” one pedestrian remarked as she dodged an oncoming guide dog.
The impeccably trained guides weaved their way through the hectic street between intermittent sniffing and tail-wagging breaks.
“She normally doesn’t stop and will do exactly as I need but then again there usually isn’t a street full of guide dogs either so I suppose she’s excited,” guide dog user Anthony Chircop said. Training a guide dog costs some €10,000 and involves several intensive courses currently not available on the island.
Mr Sciberras explained that the foundation was looking into the viability of providing training facilities in the near future.
Malta Society of the Blind president Francis Tirchett insisted that seemingly minor details often posed extraordinary inconvenience for the visually impaired.
“Things like cracks in the pavement or pregnant windows are often very dangerous for those with impaired vision. These dangers are a daily threat,” he said.
The symbolic walk ended with a demonstration of independent living skills.The demonstrations included domestic skills like peeling vegetables and making coffee and inner city mobility techniques to avoid the sidewalks’ hidden dangers.