We’re already well into March and for me, well my holiday was great but it’s already a distant memory. It’s going to be a busy and challenging year again for us in many ways. But that is the nature of the work we do.

This year we got off to a sad start as a result of the Christchurch earthquake. We’ve all heard the stories of people in the Canterbury area having no power, no water and no sewage, and having to cope with houses that have been basically ransacked, damaged and in many cases completely destroyed. We’ve heard about the cracked roads and footpaths, the scattered debris of collapsed buildings, the silt and muck that pervades much of the area both inside and outside, and the dangers of buildings that are still standing but teetering on the verge of collapse. And saddest of all, we’ve heard about the tragic loss of life.

For those of us who are not there, the impact is hard to imagine. But the impact on blind and vision impaired people is so much worse.

We’re already well into March and for me, well my holiday was great but it’s already a distant memory. It’s going to be a busy and challenging year again for us in many ways. But that is the nature of the work we do.

This year we got off to a sad start as a result of the Christchurch earthquake. We’ve all heard the stories of people in the Canterbury area having no power, no water and no sewage, and having to cope with houses that have been basically ransacked, damaged and in many cases completely destroyed. We’ve heard about the cracked roads and footpaths, the scattered debris of collapsed buildings, the silt and muck that pervades much of the area both inside and outside, and the dangers of buildings that are still standing but teetering on the verge of collapse. And saddest of all, we’ve heard about the tragic loss of life.

For those of us who are not there, the impact is hard to imagine. But the impact on blind and vision impaired people is so much worse.

Just think for a moment how our very ability to get around and function depends on everything being predictable; that familiar bump in the footpath that reminds us that we’re coming to the next crossing, the grass verge that tells us we’re about to walk off the footpath, that familiar tree that tells us our gate is coming up soon, the smell of the shoe shop that reminds us of the shops in its vicinity, the very slope of the land and how it subtly changes. People often say it’s amazing how we get around, but really it’s just that we develop a memory for these fundamental clues that really are everywhere and help us know where we are. All these have just vanished or drastically changed.

I’ve never been in an earthquake and I don’t want to diminish the impact of this latest one. But the stories I have heard remind me as a blind person of an experience when I lived in Indiana for a while and I woke up one morning after the first heavy snow fall of the winter. I was at Purdue University and I just went out to class as I usually do without thinking. Within a few seconds, I stopped suddenly as my brain told me things were not right. The path I should follow to get to the lecture theatre had vanished. The very acoustics had changed so nothing sounded the same. I was basically lost. Perhaps in a small way this is not dissimilar to what it must be like for blind people now having to cope in Christchurch.

And pause for a moment and think about the problems inside the house. Imagine your pantry has been emptied so everything is now smashed and food, liquids and dangerous sharp pieces of glass now lie congealing on the floor. Do you pick your way through it to see what can be salvaged when you can’t see what’s there? And once you’ve got your hands good and dirty, well of course there’s no water to clean up. We’ve also heard of the wonderfully strong community spirit so we can only hope that blind people who have had to face this situation have had the help they need.

Some of our Canterbury Branch members are coping with seriously damaged homes and yet they have also had the energy to phone around and do their best to contact other blind and vision impaired people to see that everyone is alright. I want to record my admiration and appreciation of local committee members who have made it their business to reach out to others in need. I am truly impressed by the way everyone has looked out for each other.

And from a distance, the Association has worked alongside other consumer organisations and the Foundation of the blind to contact all blind and low vision people registered in the area.

Whilst we know that quite a number of blind people have left the area at least for a while, we continue to stay in touch with our fellow blind citizens battling on in the Canterbury area. Our organisation doesn’t have staff on the ground so there is not a lot we can do. But one thing we can do as blind people is use our phones and computers to keep in touch. We will stay in touch and do what we can to help anyone we can.