Daulat-Araujo's new book provides insights into the blind

NATIONAL award-winning blind author Jennifer Daulat-Araujo expressed hope her new book will improve equality for the blind and visually impaired in this country.

"Going through it I realised there are so many questions that the sighted do not understand about the visually impaired and the blind. So many questions were asked that I realised the book will be an inspiration, I hope, to those who want to know more about us and to work (alongside) us and to treat us as equal with everybody else."

She was speaking at the launch of her book An Insight Into Living with Blindness held on October 12 at the Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business (GSB), Mount Hope – the date was chosen to commemorate World Sight Day.

Daulat-Araujo told the audience she started the book before her retirement as a welfare officer of the Trinidad and Tobago Blind Welfare Association (TTBWA) and completed it during the covid19 pandemic.

She said her first book, Windows to the Worlds of the Blind, was a compilation of articles she wrote as a columnist for Newsday and was dedicated to her mother.

"She saw the importance of education to have us come out of poverty."

She said her second book, Braille Manual – A Guide to Enable the Sighted to Read and Write Braille, was dedicated to her father who ensured she received an education after she failed the Common Entrance exam.

"He said to me, 'I will send you to school, I will pay for you to go to school, that you get an education just like everybody else.'"

Daulat-Araujo became emotional at various points of her speech, especially when speaking about her parents, and told the audience it was because she has an "emotional life."

She said her new book is dedicated to her clients at the TTBWA where she worked in the areas of welfare and rehabilitation for more than 31 years.

"Without you, I would not be standing here today."

Daulat-Araujo, who received a Humming Bird Medal (Silver) for Public Service in 2012, said that if anyone has knowledge and does not share it then it is of no use. She added that she was planning to write another book.

An Insight Into Living with Blindness is 32 pages long with 20 chapters on topics starting with The Work for the Blind in Trinidad and Tobago: A Brief Historical Overview and ending with Employment of Persons with Vision Impairment. The book covers a range of areas including medical, technological and advice for interacting with a vision-impaired person.

Optometrist and attorney Petra Bridgemohan in her foreword to the book recommended the text as required reading for eyecare professionals, optometrists and ophthalmologists in training at the University of the West Indies and other institutions, social welfare officers and members of the public who deal with issues relating to vision impairment at any stage of life.

She said she has known Daulat-Araujo for the past 40 years and first met her while a young trainee optometrist at the Eye Clinic at Port of Spain General Hospital when she visited to discuss setting up a proper referral eye care protocol for blind assessment which would adhere to the United Kingdom's standards.

"She has worked tirelessly to support and advance the blind and vision-impaired community over the years and continues to do so through her newspaper columns, books and training seminars, always for the betterment of the visually challenged in Trinidad and Tobago."

In her remarks at the event, Bridgemohan said mobility was the biggest challenge to the blind and visually impaired and called for pavements to be well-maintained with visual impairment in mind, and for traffic lights to have audio signals.

Arthur Lok Jack GSB CEO Mariano Browne in his remarks said the school needed to do a little bit more work to assist the visually impaired regarding the set up of their stairs. He explained they do have a ramp to access classrooms but not for the auditorium and added adjustments will be made to make it more accessible.

He said those who do not have all their "facilities" often develop others and some become overachievers. Browne added that he recognised the special effort by Daulat-Araujo and stressed that visual impairment was not a tragedy but an obstacle to overcome.

"Thank you very much for showing us what it is to persevere with grit and determination."

Executive director of civil society organisation Persons Associated with Visual Impairment Bhawani Persad extended congratulations to Daulat-Araujo on the book and all her accomplishments in life.

"You did your bit and continue to do your bit to ensure that advocacy remains a top priority for the blind and visually impaired persons in our country."

The event also featured a performance by extempo champion Joseph Vautor-La Placeliere, Lingo, who was born blind. Lingo performed his song Take Care of Your Eyes which urged people to focus on the health of their eyes.