Primary Student Overcomes Visual Impairment and Becomes A “Gifted Scholar”

This letter is about the true stories of Janson, a primary six student; and Maggie, a senior volunteer. No matter which stage of life you are at now, it is hoped that you will be inspired by their life experiences.

We are truly grateful for your trust to the Red Cross in providing a solid foundation to develop and sustain our humanitarian services. Our humanitarian work has never stopped, and we need the community's support to move further and help more needy. We hope that you will respond to our call with a gift of HK$500 in support of our Special Education Services, Patient Concern Service and other humanitarian works, so that the vulnerable and the needy can be protected under our comprehensive range of services.

Please allow me to walk you through the true story of Janson Lok, one of our students with special educational needs.

This little prince, in a wheelchair, is tilting his head and holding the book so close to his face, trying to read as much as possible with his better left eye, slowly but intriguingly. Books are his buddies, opening him to the boundless world of knowledge and imagination. The more sophisticated the book, the more interested he gets. When he recommends the autobiography of modern Chinese painting master Qi Baishi, people are stunned.

For a long time, his passion in learning has been blocked by blurred vision. With the introduction of a pilot project by the Hong Kong Red Cross, this boy named Janson is now able to enjoy learning in class and grow. Just a few months, he is called “gifted scholar” amongst the peers.

Before taking part in this pilot project, Janson honestly admitted he was only pretending to see clearly in class. Even when teachers kept questioning him, his answer was a certain “Yes”. Janson’s response is somehow reflecting the situation faced by many of the students who have mild visual impairment. Some are too passive to ask for help, so they just get dazed. Some care more about self-esteem, so they just pretend they can see. Some don’t even know they get things wrong due to their visual impairment, so their learning performance is hindered. Janson said he actually got some tricks to muddle through, such as by asking teachers questions to get clues and complete the whole picture by guessing. However, he cannot learn properly in this way.

In fact, out of some 160 students in Hong Kong Red Cross John F. Kennedy Centre, 40 have mild visual impairment, which is not a rare situation. This category of students does not receive additional resources from the Education Bureau as students with moderate and severe visual impairment do. However, they are still struggling with their academic work, and constantly have their self-confidence knocked. Even though some of these students are quite good at understanding and analysing, their learning and life experiences are often halted by visual impairment, preventing them from reaching their full potentials.

The font size and line spacing are important for Janson, he struggles a lot if it is too small; he has to hold the book really close to his face, as if he is sniffing it. When the whiteboard in the classroom is filled with writing, Janson will only see an ocean of words. No matter how hard he tried, he just could not find the right focus. Also, Janson mistook the writing of some Chinese characters, but he had no idea he was wrong. Janson is just one of those suffering from visual imparirment in the school.

Visual impairment also leads to another writing problem of Janson – his handwriting is very tiny and crowded, just like crafting a micro-sculpture that can hardly be seen. Janson has no intention to trouble his teachers. It is just because of his narrow visual field that he has to write small so as to see everything. The problem intensifies when he gets more concentrated; he will squeeze a row of text into a tiny, thin line. At the end, he cannot see well, so as the teachers.

Reading the text is not yet the biggest challenge. Janson finds that the most difficulty falls in reading formulas and graphs when he cannot see properly. To calculate the area of an irregular figure, one has to divide the figure into different shapes, or to count the tiny grids on a graph paper. Both ways can be problematic for Janson. In the past, he could only rely on listening to a bunch of mathematical symbols to do the calculation. No wonder he hardly got it right. Sadly, even Janson had good understanding ability, his academic performance was often hindered by his visual impairment.

What if, you are a keen learner like Janson but your academic success is hindered by your visual impairment, how would you feel? Furthermore, after knowing Janson is not a rare case, and many of the students with mild visual impairment are facing the same challenge, would you feel unfortunate for them?

From frustration to fulfilment

Through this pilot project, Janson found the suitable font size and spacing, as well as computer aid, assist his learning. The interactive whiteboard in the classroom is connected to the computer system at Janson’s seat. Teachers can circle or highlight the key points in different colours, which can be shown exactly on Janson’s screen. Janson can also use a keyboard to do classwork with the rest of the class at the same pace.

Janson added, “With this computer aid, I am able to see in class. There is no need for guessing anymore.” Now, Janson can raise his hand not only to ask questions, but also to answer them. He knows as long as he can catch up with the class, he can also be a good learner.

However, these new challenges had put Janson in a difficult situation.

“Why am I the only one in class who has to learn this system? I am not complaining about learning it. It is just the feeling that I am different from other classmates that is upsetting me.” In the beginning, Janson was very reluctant about using the computer system, as if he was forced to do so. Even his teacher noticed him muttering at lunch, “I really don’t get it. Why do I have to use the system, and help testing this and that?” Teachers understood Janson, like any other students, had to learn to break his inertia. Therefore, they kept building Janson’s confidence with his positive learning performance. Several months later, with the encouragement from teachers and smooth interaction with his classmates, Janson was finally willing to work with the system.

Most importantly, Janson has integrated well into the class, and developed good interaction with his peers. He becomes more confident, and speaks much louder in class. When he knows the answer, he no longer hesitates – now he will say it immediately. His quick responses lead to better interaction and sharing with his classmates. Janson is now a “gifted scholar” as dubbed by his classmates.

“I want to become a packaging designer, or a Chinese teacher in the future.” Janson has regained motivation in learning, and is full of dreams for the future.

We sincerely hope every student can get the opportunity to learn and fulfil their full potential. Are you willing to give a little aid to students with special needs like Janson to help them excel? Your gift of HK$500 will help us provide the right educational kits and training for students, helping students like Janson, and sustain our services to the needy.

The participation of Janson and other physically disabled students with mild visual impairment has contributed a lot to this pilot project. A total of 14 representative students from both primary and secondary sections were selected to this project, which was carried out in the three Hong Kong Red Cross special schools for physically handicapped students. The project targeted on finding out the most appropriate accommodation for participating students, in terms of learning modalities, teaching materials, assistive tools and technology equipment, etc., so as to improve their academic performance and independent learning.

Even the use of spectacles and magnifying glass does not help much for students like Janson, who have multiple disabilities, to learn properly in class. Your generous gift will help fill the service gap, and allow these students to learn effectively with suitable means and tools. With your kind help, these students will be able to make the most use of their limited sight, while our other humanitarian services can be sustained. Are you willing to bring light to their lives?

The Red Angel who volunteers for patient care

To care for the vulnerable and the sick is the long-term commitment of the Hong Kong Red Cross. Launched in 1973, our Patient Concern Service provides different volunteer services to patients in public hospitals, including “Regular Visit”, “Patient Caring Programme”, “Patient Companion and Escort Service”, “Mobility Equipment Loan Service” and “Patient Library Service”, enabling those in need to receive care and concern from the community.

Maggie Ng, a retiree, joined our voluntary Patient Concern Service in 2008. Her golden years have become fulfilling since then. This Red Angel, wearing the Hong Kong Red Cross volunteer vest, visits five public hospitals regularly to provide various types of Patient Concern Service, from bedside caregiving to interest group activities, to service users including mental patients, hospice patients, rehabilitation patients and wheelchair users. Maggie recalled her most touching moment, “Some hospice patients said to me, ‘If I have a chance of recovery, I will also join Hong Kong Red Cross’s volunteer service.’ Although they may not be able to do so, I still appreciate a lot their wholehearted wish.”

The volunteers for Patient Concern Service have to receive training first. During the visit, they have to follow volunteer guidelines and instructions from medical staff. Each visit has a theme, such as festive celebration, nostalgic snacks, tea ceremony, and even traditional Chinese wedding customs. However, volunteers have to remain flexible, as anything can happen in the wards.

Maggie told us one of her most unforgettable experiences. “One male patient had sudden incontinence just in front of our three female volunteers. He was so angry and embarrassed. We were at a loss to react. From this experience, I learnt that sickness can make people feel helpless. As a volunteer, I am willing to serve them.”

Keeping patients accompanied is also an act of caregiving. Genuine listening can already give great support to the needy. Maggie said, “Patients in hospice wards are people entering the final stages of their lives. Some of them are really talkative, and even talk about death. Some of them do not mention at all. In that case, we will play some funny quizzes, or talk about their old times. They all cherished the memory of their working years. They looked so proud when talking about it.”

Sometimes patients are really quiet, or they just turn a cold face. Maggie will approach them with extra patience and caring. “It is always good to have someone visiting you when you are in hospital. Simply casual chatting may help you feel more at ease, instead of feeling empty on your bed.” Maggie continued, “If there is no more hospital visit, some mental patients may not even have the opportunity to move their body and exercise their brain. Therefore, the Patient Concern Service provided by the Hong Kong Red Cross is very meaningful.” At the end of the visit, each patient will receive a handmade gift filled with blessings from our volunteers.

Even though Maggie’s family has hesitation to her volunteering in hospitals, she continues to take active part in Patient Concern Service, despite the long travels and early wake-ups in winter. Maggie is content when she sees the relieved faces of the patients. She is no longer afraid about sickness and death, and feels grateful in everyday life.

Imagine if one day you or your family member has to stay in hospital, would you like to see volunteers from the Hong Kong Red Cross? To continue the Patient Concern Service, we need to organise volunteer training and service provision. Are you willing to donate to the Hong Kong Red Cross in support of this group of “Red Angels”, to continue the voluntary Patient Concern Service?

Please click here to donate online or download the donation form. Your donation of HK$500, HK$800 or even HK$1,000 will help us in conducting our special education projects, Patient Concern Service, as well as other humanitarian services of the Hong Kong Red Cross.

Lastly, we express our deepest gratitude for your support. Should you have any enquiries about the appeal or other suggestions, please contact us at secretarygeneral@redcross.org.hk or 2802 0016.

 

Best wishes,

Bonnie So
Secretary General