Association celebrates 20th anniversary

BY RAFFY BOUDJIKANIAN

raffy.boudjikanian@transcontinental.ca

It was over two decades of helping the visually impaired that were recently celebrated at the Church of St. John the Baptist in Pointe Claire, with the Low Vision Self-Help Association throwing a party and luncheon for their members.

"The association started off with 24 people (in the beginning)," said Alan Dean, the association president. "We were 93 people attending yesterday."

Based in the West Island, the association helps out anyone who is visually impaired, a broad category that can include the completely blind as well as those with low vision.

According to Dean, low vision is usually brought on by advanced age, although it can strike young people too, due to a condition called macular degeneration.

Besides ageing, the condition can reportedly develop due to exposure to sunlight, family history, or a macular degeneration gene.

With the help of volunteer drivers, the association meets every second Thursday of the month, explained Dean, and frequently organizes outings. "For many of these people, it's the only outing they go to," he said.

"Imagine how your life would change if you were blind," added Dean, who is visually impaired himself.

Dean said too many visually impaired people are unaware of what to do. "They don't know who to go to, what to do for help," he explained.

"This association enables people to learn from each other and live a better life through blindness," he added. "That's the key thing."

A highlight of the celebration was ragtime pianist Phil Matlin. "He was terrific," said Dean.

"He's been a regular there," said Matlin's wife and manager Evelyn. "They like him there." His music livens up a crowd and generates enthusiasm, she explained, and it is always a pleasure for him to play for the Low Vision Self-Help Association, as well as the Montreal Association for the Blind (MAB). "We (personally) know blind people," said Evelyn.