How to Advocate for Visually Impaired Children

Help visually impaired children by fighting for their right to happiness.

Becoming an advocate for visually impaired children means you are about to give these children a voice they normally would not have. Visually impaired children will face many challenges in their lifetime. The right to have some kind of normalcy in their lives is the ultimate challenge. Visually impaired children face discrimination, lack of funding, abandonment, continuous health issues, and general social and life issues. Start by volunteering with a local or national organization that supports the visually impaired.

Instructions

1. Encourage capabilities by setting reasonable goals for the children. Your job as an advocate would be to make sure they have every opportunity to achieve their goals. You might do this by having open forums with local businesses, encouraging them to offer jobs and services to help these children become responsible and independent adults.

2. Instruct the children on how to function in everyday life. Offer guidance but ultimately let them complete the task themselves. For example, if the child is a girl, she will need personal instruction to understand what is happening to her body as it changes in her menstrual years. You can be an advocate for classes and instruction for visually impaired girls who are premenstrual.

3. Find communities that are safe for these children to transition into. Advocate for safe conditions, such as pedestrian-friendly streets and roads. Look for features in communities that will provide a friendly and safe environment for visually impaired children. Communities that have low crime rates, affordable housing, and tolerance and diversity are ideal for these children.

4. Lead the fight for the rights of the visually impaired. Start in your neighborhood and educate your community and local businesses by conducting meetings and workshops. The community will be more supportive if it is involved. According to Arthur Kane in The University of the Chicago Chronicle, "It's unfortunate, but we still have a way to go to stamp out discrimination against individuals who are blind or have other disabilities." People find it hard to support what they don't understand.

5. Join advocacy support groups to get the information and support you need to help visually impaired children. Two such groups are the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults and the American Foundation for the Blind. Both are national organizations.

References

• Rainbow Kids: Facts About Blind/Sight Impaired
• American Foundation for the Blind: Livable Communities: Features that Make Communities "Livable"
• The University of Chicago Chronicle: Law students become advocates for blind, visually impaired at Lighthouse's Kane legal aid clinic

Resources

• UNICEF: Blind children learn about their stake in the Sierra Leone Child Rights Act
• Florida Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired
• National CASA Association
• Family Connect: For parents of children with visual impairments
• Vsion Aware: Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults