Columnist urges stronger support for blind children after Davao School for the Blind walk

Mindanao Times columnist Patmei argues that the Philippines is failing visually impaired children not for lack of ability among the children but for lack of what she calls the "infrastructure of possibility." She draws the lesson from a blindfolded walk at the Davao School for the Blind (DSB) in Bago Aplaya, Davao City.

Ahead of International White Cane Day on October 15, DSB launched "Beyond Sight," a guided walk through its campus in which visitors are blindfolded and led by the school's students and staff. The columnist joined a test run on October 8. Also taking part were Councilor Enzo Villafuerte, who chairs the City Council Committee on Social Services; Nicole Hao Bian Ledesma, president of the Davao Tourism Association; and Dr. Maria Rea Lane Horfilla, president of the Rotary Club of Downtown Davao.

Her guide was Caryl, a licensed professional teacher who lost her sight later in life and is applying for a special education post with the Department of Education. Caryl taught her to follow a "shoreline," a continuous physical edge that blind travellers use to move safely. The writer says the experience turned the phrase "the blind leading the blind" from an insult into an example of expertise.

The column cites estimates that, as of July 2023, there were about 592,000 blind Filipinos and more than 2.1 million with low vision or related impairments, most of them poor. It also says nearly 60 percent of childhood blindness and severe visual impairment in the country is preventable. The writer attributes this to weak early detection and limited access to basic eye care.

She notes that DSB is the only institution of its kind for blind children in Mindanao. She argues that the inclusive education required by Republic Act 11650 remains largely unmet. In her account, mainstream teachers report limited training in Braille and inclusive teaching, few accessible materials and difficulties with assessment, while the shortage of special education teachers persists.

The writer points to DSB's record as a model, citing blind entrepreneurs who employ fellow blind workers and visually impaired teachers hired at DSB and SPED centres. She calls for access to be treated as a right rather than charity.