Sergil and Zoli visited the High School on 25 June from the Cape Town Society for the Blind (CTSB) where they shared their personal stories, journeys, and insights into the life of a blind / visually impaired person. They gave a brief introduction to Braille and allowed the pupils to experience Braille, as well as running a blind simulation activity. The workshop was incredibly insightful and inspiring, with a pupil commenting “It really made me realise how I’ve taken my sight for granted.”
Sergil shared his life story where he tragically lost his sight through gang violence after dropping out of school. He had the option of letting the blindness affect him and only having four walls, or he could stick to the vision he had for himself. He went back to school after dropping out in Grade 9 and got a job – “the next best thing to seeing as a blind person, is speaking.” He proudly stated that no only is he the Communications Officer at the CTSB, but he also does motivational speaking in his personal capacity.
Zoli shared his journey where he suddenly lost his sight and only saw blank pages. He shared that “it was a very scary moment”, resulting in depression for three years where he didn’t think to get his eyes checked. When it was suggested to him to see a Doctor, he was diagnosed with Retinitis pigmentosa which meant he would lose his sight slowly.
Sergil spoke about the CTSB and how their main goal is to equip blind and visually impaired people for employment and how to be independent when travelling. He spoke about the importance of being able to read and write Braille, adding that it is difficult to learn as one needs to become sensitive to touch and to have a deep level of focus. Sergil explained that one would start with a Braille Board made of Titanium which comprises the six-dot system where one needs to learn how to identfiy dots and where they are situated; then one progresses to paper. Sergil added that Braille turned 200 in 2025, and has approximately 156 characters.
Sergil encouraged pupils not to be afraid to approach a blind or visually impaired person by tapping them on the arm, to say hello. He stressed the importance of pupils looking after their eyes, and highlighted the importance of often needing to have a change in perspective by sharing this quote ““When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”
