3,000 visually impaired persons entitled to white canes

Kathmandu - A total of 3,000 visually impaired persons from across the country are entitled to white canes. Of them, 500 have already received the invaluable tool while 2,500 others will be given later this year, officials said. 

The Nepal Association of the Blind (NAB) is the provider and the remaining claimants will receive the tool coinciding with its silver jubilee to be marked six months later. 

Helping Hands has funded the project. The canes to be supplied from China cost anything between Rs 700 to Rs 1000 each and its lifespan is a year, said Director of the NAB Nar Bahadur Limbu. 

Established on January 21, 1993, the NAB is a national umbrella organisation of the blind working for the welfare of the visually-impaired persons. It has branches in 47 districts around the country and a total of 3,500 members. The organisation has also been demanding that electronic voting technology be introduced for visually impaired and a provision for them to open bank account among others.