Hesperian Health Guides
Social Life
HealthWiki > Disabled Village Children > Chapter 30: Loss of Vision and Difficulty Seeing > Social Life
A child with loss of vision should have all the same opportunities in the community as other children do. Take her with you, and then send her, to the market, well, river, school, and temple. Introduce her to the people you meet. Explain to them that she is an active little girl like any other, except that she cannot see. Ask them, when they see her, to make a point of speaking to her first (since she cannot see them), of answering her questions, of helping her to find what she is looking for. Ask them not to do everything for her, but instead to help her figure out how to do more for herself. Little by little people will begin to realize that a child with vision loss can do a lot more than they would ever have dreamed possible. And they will begin to respect and appreciate her. For the next child with vision loss in the village, it will be easier.
Take the child to meetings, movies, puppet shows, and town events. Explain to her what she cannot see.
When children with visual impairment grow up, they can marry and have children. They can be good parents.