Suchergebnisse

Describes a five-year research and demonstration project which trains and assesses the effectiveness of "barefoot" rehabilitation workers. The workers, all raised in rural villages in south India and familiar with the social structure of rural areas, received a few weeks of intensive training, including instruction in eye health care, basic mobility, daily living, and manual dexterity. Learning from experience, regular refresher courses, and project reviews increased their skills. The principal objective of rehabilitation was integration of blind individuals into family and community life. Results to date show service was delivered at costs low enough to be feasible in a developing nation.

In this comparison of the hazards faced by the blind pedestrian in Asia and the United States, it is concluded that in Asia there must be much greater flexibility in the application of basic cane techniques. The absence of sidewalks, the crowded and obstacle-strewn streets, the wide variety of vehicles and roaming animals, deep storm drains, overgrown country trails, paddy fields, etc. require that orientation and mobility skills, including the use of touch and hearing, often be adapted to the true needs of the blind traveler.