Subtotal $0.00
Locate Address:
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Call us any time:
+1 603-416-0433
Email us any time:
blindlink@gmail.com
Locate Address:
Call us any time:
Email us any time:
Be the one to make it happen!
Be one of the first to make an impact!
In July 2019, BlindLink Vietnam and the Ministry of Planning and Investment conducted a survey on white cane using in the blind community in Vietnam . A total of 225 individuals responded to our questionnaire. Participants ranged in age from 11 to 81. Their visual conditions varied widely, from multiple disabilities and light perception to very poor vision, blurry in both eyes, congenital blindness, no light perception in the left eye, one eye with blurry vision and the other with no vision, and seeing shadows. In terms of gender, 69.3% were male, 30.2% were female, and 0.5% identified as other. Out of 225 responses, 57.3% currently do not have a cane. The main obstacle to the use of white canes for mobility among the visually impaired in Vietnam is the lack of access to the white cane (84.4% of response) while 19.6% stated they have a cane but have not received training on how to use it. Among respondents, 36% experienced many collisions, more than 10 times a month while 32.9% experienced collisions frequently, 5 to 9 times monthly. Only 26.2% experienced few collisions, 1 to 4 times monthly. 39.1% of respondents have been in an accident requiring hospitalization due to poor or no vision.
“On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year in 2019, Tống Văn Dương, a 22-year-old from Ha Tinh, who was born completely blind because his mother was exposed to pesticides during pregnancy, was out celebrating the new year with another visually impaired student, Nguyễn Thị Oanh, an 18-year-old from Lang Son who was also born blind.
Tragedy struck when the two were crossing a street without a white cane for guidance. In that moment, Oanh, who still had some blurry vision, was leading Dương across the road when they were hit by a car. Oanh suffered a bilateral brain hemorrhage and a broken right leg. Although it seemed she might not survive, after a long battle between life and death, Oanh is now slowly recovering both physically and mentally. She had been an excellent and promising student at BlindLink Vietnam, with the potential to become an outstanding massage therapist, but now faces an uncertain future.
As for Dương, because he was walking behind, he was less severely impacted. After receiving treatment in the neurotrauma department at Hanoi’s E Hospital, he recovered and was able to return to his studies and work after two months. Despite this, the accident took a toll on his health, in addition to his blindness. While he was once a promising student, he now suffers from uncontrollable hand tremors—a lingering effect of the accident. Dương must now work many times harder than before to continue pursuing his career.”
By donating $20 to our White Cane Initiative, you can directly provide a person with this life-changing device. Your contribution will not only fund the purchase of a high-quality white cane but also support the necessary training that teaches an individual how to use it effectively.
Your donation is a direct investment in a person’s safety, dignity, and future.
Please, join us in giving the gift of independence.
*A donation of $30 provides a cane and essential mobility training to 1 blind individual.
Every dollar you give brings us one step closer to ensuring that every visually impaired person in our community has the tools they need to live a full and independent life.