The Bjelovar Branch of the Association of the Blind marked International White Cane Day and World Sight Day. The event was held on Friday, 16 October, in the centre of Bjelovar, at the korzo, in the area around the town pavilion, at the stands near the DM store.
The event brought together members of the Bjelovar Branch of the Association of the Blind, their collaborators, volunteers, institutional representatives and citizens. Visitors could try simulated vision goggles that show different degrees of vision impairment, try walking with a blindfold and a white cane, and learn about aids that make daily life easier for blind and visually impaired people.
The central part of the programme was the Trust Run, held from 11:00 to 12:00. The race featured pairs, with one member moving with a blindfold over their eyes, while the other guided them along the course. Participants could walk or run, and during the race they had the opportunity to swap roles. The challenge was to complete as many laps as possible within 60 minutes, while respecting safety rules and the instructions of the organisers and volunteers.
The president of the Bjelovar Branch of the Association of the Blind, Dražen Kokotić, thanked everyone who participated in the celebration, especially the volunteers and staff of the association, as well as representatives of the Bjelovar-Bilogora County, the police, health institutions and other partners and collaborators who responded to the event. He highlighted that the cooperation with the Bjelovar-Bilogora County is very good, perhaps the best so far, and that requests for assistance are met with understanding. The county has approved funds for the installation of guide lines. Kokotić stated that the biggest problem is employment, and that there has been no progress in this area. The association is supported by volunteers from the Erste Bank.
The deputy county president of the Bjelovar-Bilogora County, Marija Jung, highlighted the importance of supporting associations that daily care for the quality of life of people with disabilities. She stressed that employers need to be further sensitised and encouraged to give people with disabilities a chance in the labour market. As an example, she cited the Suvenir Arbor institution in Sirač, where people with disabilities are employed, and assessed that the establishment of a similar workshop in the area of Bjelovar and its surroundings could contribute to greater employment and easier integration of people with disabilities into the world of work.
The event was joined by Edita Bohaček, president of the Association of the City of Bjelovar and the Association of People with Intellectual Disabilities. She praised the activity of the Association of the Blind and the effort of its staff, and highlighted that such projects are important because they allow citizens to experience, even if only partially, the experience of people with disabilities. She expressed that she is very pleased that people have gathered to mark the International Day of the White Cane and to support the Association of the Blind through volunteering, and that she hopes for more such projects, noting that empathy is generally in short supply in today's world.
