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Broadcast course opens new world to the blind

The thirty-seven-year-old Hsiou-ling (琇玲) once had a bright future in front of her. With a master's degree in industry management from the University of Missouri and experience as a research assistant at the National Science Council, she was expected to achieve even bigger and better things.

However, her night blindness, which she initially ignored, caught up with her this year. Her eyesight started to deteriorate drastically and she was informed earlier this year that she would eventually become blind. After she overcame the initial shock and depression, she decided to sign up for a broadcasting course specifically designed for the visually impaired to prepare herself for a different way of life.

"I am very happy about learning broadcasting. I've got to know many other friends who have the same problem. I can share my experiences with them, and it has lit up my life," Hsiou-ling said.

The Eden Social Welfare Foundation, which is hosting the broadcasting program, pointed out that becoming a masseur is not the only job opportunity available to visually impaired people.

"The visually impaired usually have a better listening ability than people who can see, and listening to radio broadcasts has become the most convenient means for visually impaired people to obtain information," said Lee Chi-Wu (李繼吾), who is in charge of Eden's broadcasting program.

"We hope that the broadcasting program will open up more job opportunities to the visually impaired. It will also open a new channel for them to communicate with the world and enable sighted people to get to know them better," Lee said.

Meanwhile, the Institute for the Blind (盲人重建院) yesterday opened a seminar about the different employment opportunities available to the visually impaired, inviting representatives from different countries, including the US, Germany, Japan and Singapore, to share their experiences.

In her speech during the opening ceremony, Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) referred to Helen Keller to demonstrate the different possibilities open to blind people.

"It would have been a waste of talent if Keller had been limited in her career options," Lu said.

The Ministry of the Interior and the Council of Labor Affairs also reaffirmed their determination to protect the work rights of blind people, and to develop jobs suited to them.

Deputy Minister of the Interior Hsu Ying-shen (許應琛) said that the ministry was still committed to the Disabled Protection Law (身心障礙者保護法), which forbids people who can see from practicing as masseurs.

Sun Pi-hsia (孫碧霞), deputy director of the Employment and Vocational Training Administration under the Council of Labor Affairs, said that the council was committed to developing more jobs for the blind.

The council employed 22 blind people as operators in its call center in 2001. This was so successful that the Bureau of National Insurance and Pingtung County government have since also set up call centers employing blind operators.
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