"The worst thing is to be born sighted, but to lack vision." This statement by Helen Keller, written on the front wall of the building of the Jamaica Society for the Blind (JSB), sums up the work of the 55-year-old organisation.

For half a century, the JSB, located on Old Hope Road, St Andrew, has worked assiduously to bring the vision of its founders to life.

It has, over the years, provided assistance and encouragement to the over 23,000 blind individuals living in Jamaica - helping them to adjust to their condition and to lead productive lives.

Virginia Woods, executive director of the JSB, who is also visually challenged, told The Gleaner that for the past three years, the organisation has been struggling to keep its doors open.

Woods said the onset of the global economic crisis has triggered increased hardships for the organisation. "Things are bad. We have no money and we have pretty much hit rock bottom," Woods said.

Scale down

She said the group has had to scale down on a number of its programmes, such as rehabilitation services.

Just recently, two of four field officers have been sent home. "Because we just cannot afford to pay them," she said.

The field officers are trained, under blindfold, and dispatched to various parts of the island to help the blind and visually impaired who are not able to travel to Kingston.

"It is their job to help them to move from a stage of helplessness to a state of independence," she said.

Each officer is usually responsible for training eight clients per quarter, resulting in the group providing rehabilitation to at least 32 persons a year. However, with the scaling down, Woods is saddened that the JSB will not be able to reach its usual numbers.

"In 2008, we struggled to keep our heads above water. Apart from a few projects, which were for specific programmes and a small subvention from the Government, there were very little funds to deal with our day-to-day operations," she said.

Woods admitted to hardly being able to pay the utility bills, as well as provide the necessary teaching and adjustment tools such as white canes and Braille equipment for the blind.

The JSB's library, which was made from a 40-foot container, is now deteriorating. "The walls are rotting," she said.

The society is also without a vehicle, which has severely crippled its activities. "The one we had met in an accident in December," Woods informed. The van was repaired, but there is a policy excess of $157,800 which the organisation cannot afford to pay.

Woods said the JSB is in need of at least $1.5 million to alleviate its financial burdens for this year. "We understand that we are living in hard times, we recognise the economic hardships caused by the recession, but we are appealing to the public for support," Woods said.

athaliah.reynolds@gleanerjm.com

If you are interested in making a contribution to the work of the Jamaica Society for the Blind, please call 927-6759. You can also make a deposit to the society's National Commercial Bank account # 301 901 771.