IT has often been said that if you want to truly appreciate the difficulties of another, there is no other way than to simply “walk a mile in his shoes”. I couldn’t agree more. But what if the person that you are trying to understand is a blind individual? What is his world of darkness like?

My friend Yam Tong Woo shared with me his little adventure during the recent Wesak Day celebrations. Yam, 58, lost his sight four years ago following a bacterial infection. However, that did not deter him from joining thousands of devotees who turned up at a local temple to observe their religious obligations.

“My blindness was no excuse to skip visiting the temples on Wesak Day,” said Yam who pointed out that he and his wife, Hong, have been visiting different temples since he became handicapped. This year the couple visited a temple in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. They weren’t there merely as devotees; they were also representatives of an NGO for the blind.

“By 9am, the temple was abuzz with worshippers,” Yam said. “Despite the traffic congestion, patience and cooperation from the devotees contributed to a smooth and peaceful event.”

Volunteers directed his sighted wife to a parking lot. Although it turned out to be a long walk to the temple, Yam had no reason to complain.

“Nobody bumped into us. The large crowd noted my white cane and courteously made way for us,” said Yam. “This is a far cry from the bad experiences I’ve encountered in shopping malls where people kept bumping into me despite my white cane. They didn’t even bother to apologise or retrieve my white cane which I dropped after being knocked into.”

At the temple, the Yams were pleased to note that volunteers who were stationed at strategic spots paid special attention to dis-abled and elderly devotees, and treated them like VIPs.

“I wish the handicapped would be treated in a similar manner at all other events so that more of them will have the confidence to come out of their homes and mingle with the rest of society,” said Yam.

“Our society should respect everyone, irrespective of age, gender and creed, and show our care and compassion, especially to the disadvantaged. We should go out of the way to invite all Malaysians with disabilities – no matter what their handicap – to join in normal activities. This would be an excellent way to assimilate disabled people into mainstream society, an important proactive action that is, unfortunately, lacking.”

Yam said he had attended many events that were planned exclusively for the dis- abled. Although they were feted with delicious food and given goodies to take home, this isn’t the best way to treat the handicapped.

“There is no substitute for real interaction with the public, which is what the disabled want,” said Yam.

He also said there is plenty of room for improvement when it comes to accessibility, especially in places of worship.

Whilst being aided by Hong to walk up the steps of the temple, Yam noticed there were no features like support hand rails for the elderly or tactile pathways for the blind so that they can access the temple independently.

There were also no ramps and toilets for wheelchair-users.

“I hope the temple authorities will look into this,” said Yam. “Facilities for the handicapped must be made available so that they can fulfil their religious obligations like any other devotee.”

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