Speaking at a ceremony to mark the white cane safety day on October 15, Minister for Social Development Dr Fatima Al Baloushi said that 300 out of 5,000 visually impaired people had undergone rehabilitation programmes and many of them had been able to be economically productive and effective member of society.

She stressed that it was part of the responsibilities of the government and private sector to work together to offer support to the visually disabled and give them equal opportunities in education, work and other spheres of public life so that they could integrate into society.

She said in the current year the government offered 26 laptops with audio software to visually impaired students and would continue to do as part of an effort to make them independent.

Dr Al Baloushi said those who were facing difficulties in education, training, working and integrating into society would be included in a special national strategy to be launched next year.

The visually challenged people with high school certificates and those who have graduated from the Bahrain Training Institute and universities in the kingdom will be honoured as part of Bahrain’s celebration to mark the International White Cane Day.

In her statement, the minister referred to the Comprehensive Centre for Disability, the first of its kind in the region to provide care and rehabilitation services to the disabled and their families and vocational training for those working in this domain.

The minister also shed light on steps taken to serve the disabled. The ministry has given priority to securing jobs for the disabled and has been able to employ double the planned figure during the last two years, she said.