WBU-AP (under 25 years old) Excellent Work "The Blind and Audio Devices" Myanmar Maria Makhon (23/female) |
In life we are faced with two critical choices -- we could decide to do nothing and always be suffering from a chronic need; or else we could decide to overcome and cope with a seemingly incapacitating disability. In my case, I chose the latter and I am very glad that I decided to take the second path. At the age of five, I lost my sight in both eyes. Although I was too young then to think about how my future would be affected, I did sense that I would have to spend the rest of my life in total darkness; this filled me with horror, fear and apprehension. I became increasingly aware of the seriousness of my situation and I was eventually overwhelmed by self-pity, grief, hopelessness and despair. I had a strong desire to be able to spend my time in a profitable manner; I wanted to be able to lead a useful life. But how was I to do it was really beyond my reach at the time. Then, one day, my father bought me an IC radio cassette-recorder. This filled me with joy and pleasure; indeed, my happiness knew no bounds. Instead of continually dwelling on my apparently hapless condition, I began turning my attention to the radio cassette-recorder. The words and music of the songs I heard on the radio and cassettes brought me a great deal of enjoyment, pleasure, comfort and relief. In fact, they had a very therapeutic effect upon me. Listening to the radio news had its educational benefits for me. I was able to obtain interesting information on the local and international scene plus plenty of other useful general knowledge. I also began to enjoy recorded plays and dramatised stories which I played on the cassette-recorder. Indeed, they taught me so much about the facts of life. Thus, with the radio and cassette-recorder as my companions and as my source of entertainment and information, I felt that my life had changed for the better; I no longer felt useless and worthless and I gradually gained self-confidence. I started thinking about what I could do and how I could learn, especially to read and write, just like other sighted children. Then came the day when we heard about a school for blind children where I could learn to read and write Braille. Unfortunately, in order to go to the school, I would have to leave my home, my family and the familiar surroundings. Many discussions were held between my parents and me until finally it was decided that I should be sent there. The school where I am still attending as a student is in Meikhtila. I am very happy to have been given the opportunity to learn how to read and write Braille. It is also very thrilling to be able to learn some very useful independent living skills such as Orientation and Mobility. Vocational training courses(including music) are also provided in order to prepare us for our future livelihoods. I am now in the seventh standard and I am so happy to be pursuing my academic studies. My radio cassette-recorder has become an invaluable asset to me. Besides providing entertainment and information, I have my school materials recorded onto the tapes for my reference and study as I play them back and listen to the texts. The radio cassette-recorder is so beneficial to me that I would like to call it my "audio eye". We blind students are greatly motivated by the motto, "Disabled people are capable people". The slogan gives us so much incentive to forge ahead; in spite of our visual disability, we know we are capable of achieving what we want to do. There are so many disabled achievers in the world today. We read about them, hear about their successes and sometimes we are even able to see them in person. In fact, the achievements of many blind persons have astounded and surprised the world. The late Dr. Helen Keller was one such person. She not only lost her sight but she also could not hear and had speech difficulties. However, she overcame all these challenges and went on to become a person of world renown. More than that, her example has been a source of inspiration and encouragement for thousands of people, particularly blind and deaf persons, all over the world. I was able to know about her experiences, successes and achievements with the help of my radio cassette-recorder. Those of us with impaired vision should take advantage of our other senses, especially our sense of hearing. Audio devices such as the radio cassette-recorder can become our best friends and companions. They can help us to improve the quality of our lives and enable us to reach out for educational and employment opportunities. They help us gain access to reading materials and we are able to accumulate and store up the knowledge for our needs and for later use. Indeed, they can help to boost our morale and make the difference in our lives. Audio aids are essential -- they are the quickest and most reliable means for the blind to gain access to any form of information. Therefore, I believe that appropriate measures must be taken to facilitate their maximum use. For me, audio devices are not just simply tools; I regard each audio device as a teacher, a benefactor and, most of all, a best friend. |
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