High cost of Braille machine affecting education of blind Nigerians – Association

Adebayo Gbadamosi, the chairman of the Kwara State branch of the National Association of Blind People in Nigeria, has said the high cost of Braille machines is affecting the education of the blind in the country.
Gbadamosi told the News Agency of Nigeria in Ilorin on Thursday that the machines were now very expensive for blind people afford for their learning and working.
The chairman noted that parents of blind children could not afford the product that was currently being sold for N150,000 a set.
Gbadamosi said: “It is not easy for parents to get scholarship for our members and blind children because many come from poor families.
“The Braille machines are the tools that are compulsory and needed by blind children to learn from the primary schools to the higher institutions.”
He said that many of the association members were intelligent and had produced many products but with no markets to showcase their talents.
Gbadamosi urged the government and influential people in the society to patronise their products to help the blind.
He said that showcasing the talents of the blind and making them productive would take many away from the world of street begging.
Gbadamosi speaking on the importance of Information Communication Technology said his members needed the assistance of government to benefit from the training.
He also appealed to government to employ his members into government offices saying they were ready to contribute their quota to the development of the society.
He said: “Many of our members are left out of the employment market despite going through rudimentary of learning a trade; but with nothing to do after the training duration.”