16 October

Yangon City Development Committee organized the 28th International White Cane Day yesterday morning, with the participation of 1,450 blind persons and visually impaired people, together with their 531 helpers, from 31 blind schools and associations.

The annual event on each 15 October is aimed to recognize the movement of blind people from dependency to full participation in society.

Deputy Speaker of Yangon Region Hluttaw U Lin Naing Myint, MPs of regional Hluttaw, Patron of Event Organizing Committee and Deputy Mayor of YCDC U Soe Lwin and wife, Chairperson of Organizing Committee and Secretary of YCDC Daw Hlaing Maw Oo and chairpersons and members of organizing committees and sub-committees, the blind persons and their helpers from schools for the blind and workshops.

After shooting the starter’s gun, the participants began walking from Yangon City Hall, through Sule Road, Merchant Road, Strand Road, Phone Gyi Road and Mahabandoola Road, and arrived back to the destination of starting point.

People along the route cheered them and presented them with foods and snow towels.
After appraising the participants, the Deputy Mayor and wife, Chairman of Regional Hluttaw Bill Committee, Chairman of Public Account Committee, and Chairperson and members of Organizing Committee presented the trophy and gifts to the schools for the blind, and the sunglasses were also given to the blind children.

Mg Yaw Shu from Myanmar Christian Fellowship of the Blind expressed thanks for the event and the awards, followed by the entertainment programmes of the blind.

The officials of YCDC took the participants from the schools for the blind and workshops to the playground of People’s Park for relaxation.

YCDC started organizing the International White Cane Day in 1992, to convey the message about blindness and how the blind and visually impaired can live and work independently while giving back to their communities, to celebrate the abilities and successes achieved by blind people in a sighted world and to honor the many contributions being made by the blind and visually impaired.

Ye Ye Myint (Translated by Aung Khin)