New Delhi: Visually impaired Amina, who relies heavily on her sense of touch, wonders what kind of 'new life' awaits her when the lockdown imposed in view of the coronavirus pandemic relaxes.
For Amina, it is a double whammy as not only touching any surface will put her at higher risk of contracting the coronavirus but also the new norm of social distancing would make the outside world more wary towards helping her and other blind people.
"Our activities outside our homes see huge dependence on others and mostly strangers whether it is while crossing roads or buying groceries at a supermarket. Secondly, I cannot touch any person or surface in fear of contracting the disease and wearing gloves will weaken my sense of touch," Amina, who works at a blind school, said.
Scientists say apart from person to person contact, coronavirus can also be contracted by touching a surface that has contaminated droplets on it.
The World Health Organisation says that coronavirus has the ability to remain active on certain surfaces for a few hours or several days.
But touch which is the most prevalent means of spreading COVID-19 is also the most prevalent method for visually impaired people to communicate in the outside world.
Saurabh Jain, a BCom student, has been blind since birth and he wonders how exactly "living with coronavirus" will be for him. "My hands are my eyes and I fear when I step outside people are not going to be as helpful as before. Everyone fears for their life and they will definitely not be comfortable in holding hands of a blind stranger," Jain said.
"Coronavirus does not discriminate against who it infects but it has definitely made us more vulnerable than the others. The so-called new normal is going to be much more difficult for us than for the people with perfect senses," he rued.
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India was accounted to have around 12 million blind people in 2017 against 39 million globally-- which makes India home to one-third of the world's blind population, NGOs working with the visually impaired population have advised them to exercise extreme caution when they step out.
"Once the lockdown is over, people with visual impairment would need to step out but they need to protect themselves through gloves even if it weakens their sense of touch. We are also advising people to avoid stepping out and get as many items as possible delivered at home," said Dheeraj Bhola, member of Blind Welfare Society.
Prashant Verma, general secretary of National Association for the Blind, said the visually impaired people will be badly affected, especially those who are living alone.
"There are many blind couples or blind people who are living alone. They cannot avoid touching things like railings, doors so when people will be allowed to go out we are advising them to be extra cautious and always carry a sanitiser and wear masks," Verma said.
"If they are taking assistance from people then we are telling them not to touch palms or hands of people but touch shoulder or back and whenever they touch something they should use a sanitiser," he added.
S K Rungta, general secretary of the National Federation of Blind said, apart from the health dimension, the social dimension is also important on what would be the reaction of people towards the blind population now.
"The person who would like to help will have apprehensions, it is natural. Another issue is the way the government is responding to the situation. Like in metros or railways, escorts are available for blind people but now the government is removing human intervention then what will happen to this population," he said.
India's third phase of the national lockdown began from Monday with "considerable relaxations" in several districts.
The nationwide lockdown imposed from March 25 to April 14, and then extended to May 3, aims at preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus that has claimed 1,783lives and infected 52,952people in the country.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said people will have to be ready to live with coronavirus and that time has come to re-open the city.
(PTI REPORT)
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