A visually impaired retired Public Servant has said that lack of social etiquette by some family members posed a serious challenge to the blind community.

According to her, some disparaging remarks from family members with regard to their condition had deprived some physically challenged persons of wives and husbands.

“Contemptible remarks from family members of potential spouses is robbing the blind community of quality men and women.

“Sickness or illness does not discriminate and can attack anybody at any point in times: It is inevitable”.

Speaking in an interview with The Spectator on condition of anonymity last Saturday, the retiree disclosed that she was not blind at the time of marriage but was struck by sickness resulting in her predicament.

“No one knows what tomorrow brings in life so let us love one another and be each other’s keeper. What has happened to me can happen to anyone because blindness is not sold for people to buy,” she said.

She observed over the years that some families would go every length to discourage their members from marrying blind people because they felt they were not good marriage material.

She said it was important to accord persons who had lost their sight the respect and dignity they deserved like all humans.

The retired public servant stated that some families used various means namely emotional blackmail, threats even to the extent of disowning them and leaving some of the people with no choice but to abandon the thought of marrying a blind person.

She said it was disheartening that these physically challenged were men and women who were responsible and gainfully employed with other enviable qualities but just because they had lost their sight, they were not given a chance to get married to their preferred partners.

She pointed out that even in the case of blind men, it was better as compared with blind women, who sometimes found it very difficult to get husbands.

She said some blind women had to settle with some blind men or give up completely on marriage to prevent any inconvenience from the family and friends of their potential spouses.

She said such rigid stance by the society was unfortunate and not doing anybody any good and therefore appealed for a change in behaviour explaining that people should be judged on their potentials not their physical disabilities because some people might not be physically challenged but could be the worse spouses. 

She gave a reminder that even sighted people asked for help to manage their homes and take care of their families so the case of the disabled persons should not be seen as something that was out of the ordinary if they also asked for help.

From Dzifa Tetteh Tay, Tema.