Well over 50 years ago, cataracts – so easily cured now – blinded my father.
In a world of near darkness, I was his eyes. Whenever he went out he would hold onto my hand as we walked and I would warn him of traffic, kerbs, uneven pavements, and the many other hazards faced by those who cannot see.
More recently, a very dear friend of mine went blind. She, too, was over 80 and, after a diagnosis went wrong, her world went dark: she can dimly see shapes – but no more.
For both of them, their worlds narrowed. Two fiercely independent people became dependant – and they hated it. Olive told me she was lucky: "I'm old", she said, "I remember colour – in my imagination I can still see it".
But not everyone is old. Somewhere a child goes blind every minute. To them, not even Shakespeare could describe colour, or sky, or sea, or trees, or faces; and, however kind people are in everyday life, the blind person is "different" and not quite part of the crowns. It is a cruel element in every way.
The GLFB raises funds so that member charities can help. After a stroke Kristina was left blind. Understandably, she was scared and became a prisoner in her own home. In despair, she decided to get in touch with one of our members for help.
They helped Kristina regain her confidence. Soon she could leave home without a panic attack.
A simple task like collecting her son from school became possible again: Kristina describes the first time she went to the school unaided as one of the proudest moments of her life.
She credited our work for giving her, her life back.
We- with sight – say "I see" when we mean "I understand". But for those who cannot see, it must be hard to understand our helter-skelter, frantic world. And for many – and there are too many – how impossible it must be – how heartbreaking.
Blindness can strike indiscriminately. Some very distinguished people lost their sight in middle age: Bach, Delius, W.C.Handy, the father of the blues, Claude Monet and John Milton.
Often, to be blind means to be poor. It is difficult to be a high achiever without sight from childhood- though Helen Keller, Louis Braille and Ray Charles are remarkable exceptions as, in our own time, is David Blunkett.
People overcome the disability of blindness in remarkable ways.
One of the most moving things I have seen is blind people playing cricket.
There is a bell in the ball – the sense of sound is sufficiently well developed to make it a competitor sport. I spoke to the players and one said: "It's great – bad light never stops play."
Andy was registered blind at the age of 20. Instead of wallowing in self-pity he was determined to overcome his disability and after being introduced to blind cricket has excelled at the sport. He has represented England at two World Cups, and has developed a passion for using cricket to change lives.
He is now Director of Programmes at Cricket for Change.
Vice President Sir John Major KG CH
