Yesterday, Sunday, March 8th, was International Women’s Day. We talked about what this day really means in another article, so we won’t go into the details of its importance.
However, to mark this occasion, a video was shared on social media yesterday. It highlights an important issue for women—and men—who have visual impairments.
The two-minute video features a woman with visual impairment and a man, who is actually the journalist interviewing her. They focus on the challenges of navigating the sidewalks in Cyprus.
In the video, she uses her white cane and her companion to do her daily shopping. But the sidewalk suddenly ends. It just disappears. Right where it should continue, there’s a parked car. And then another car right after that. When she finally reaches the next section of sidewalk, there are more parked cars blocking her way. This forces her to: A) climb over them B) teleport C) step onto the road.
The third option seems the most realistic. But if she does this alone, even a simple walk can turn dangerous. A small step into the road or an inattentive driver could lead to an accident.
This is just one of many challenges faced by people with visual impairments in Cyprus. Guidance paths are rare. There are pedestrian lights with audio signals outside the School for the Blind in Nicosia and at a few other places on the island. Ramps and access points are hard to find. Cars often park on sidewalks, and if they’re not there, stores might have their merchandise or signs blocking the way.
The video shows respect and awareness without resorting to emotional clichés about a serious issue that happens more often than we think.
What really moved me (besides having a daughter with visual impairment) is that both Ms. Giota and journalist Giorgos Chrysanthou avoid cheap emotional tricks from old Greek movies. Instead, they highlight and criticize issues related to infrastructure, education, and empathy.
And watch the full video here:
