FREE WHITE CANE FOR VIETNAMESE BLIND

On the 5th day of the Lunar New Year (2019), Nguyen Thi Oanh, a congenital blind 18 - year old girl from lang son, went out to celebrate the Spring festival along with her friend Nguyen Van X, who lost his vision since childhood.

The accident came when they passed a road without using white canes to help them avoid obstacles. Oanh could still see things dimly, so she tried to lead X across the road. Unfortunately, they got hit by a car. Oanh's brain was bleeding from both sides and her right leg was broken. The situation seemed impossible, but after days of struggling between life and death, Oanh gradually recovered, though still slow in health and spirit. She is a good student at Blind-Link with the potential to become an excellent therapist, but she currently faces an uncertain future. As for X, he received less damage. So after being treated at the Neurological Injury Department, Hanoi E Hospital, X recovered, and returned to his daily life after 2 months. Even so, the accident took away his health. If he was a potential student before, his hands are now trembling uncontrollably, a result of the accident. X is trying very hard to be able to pursue his work.

The sad story of Oanh and X are just two of the many traumatic accidents that blind people in Vietnam have been and are still facing each day when they want to fulfill one of the simplest needs - the freedom to go where they please.

For the very same reason, Blind-Link and Omamori Spa have tried to mobilize society's interest in the program to provide free White Canes for the Vietnamese visually impaired over the years. August 2019 may be a particularly memorable day, the day that the Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung will announce the White Stick Initiative for the Vietnamese visually impaired and co-organize the initiative with the Blind Association of Vietnam. Each White Cane - the symbol of blind people in the world - will become an indispensable object to the blind in Vietnam, making it easier, safer and more civilized for the blind to travel.