ESG News

Volunteer / Chang Wan-ju (Elly)

As a volunteer, I once asked, “Doesn’t ‘low vision’ mean not being able to see clearly? I often see students with low vision holding their phones extremely close to their eyes, so it appears that they can still see objects and text.” Volunteer project worker Yan-ching responded, “Taking myopia as an example, do you know why visually impaired and low-vision students are eligible to hold a Disability Identification Booklet, but you are not? Actually, their perception of the world is very different from yours!”

After hearing this, I asked a student, “Chan-yi, can you distinguish between the cobblestone path and other ground surfaces?” He replied, “Of course I can! Look how fast I can run!” I’d had several experiences accompanying and leading visually impaired students. The student in my charge on this occasion was an eleventh-grader with low-vision. He was just as active as other boys his age, and physically indistinguishable from sighted students, so my impulse was, sure, let’s see you run. Wait, stop! Actually, it’s still risky, because visually impaired students are unable to spot height differences in terrain of uniform color, making it easy for them to stumble. This is one of the issues that both students and volunteers need to be wary of. Generally, when we’re on even and spacious terrain, I let students explore the world on their own; when we’re in more dangerous areas or on uneven ground, I give advice and remind them to watch their step.

On this trip, we visited the Shibi Dyeing & Weaving Workshop, which is located in one of the Saisiyat villages in Nanzhuang, Miaoli County. Although cloth dyeing is a familiar experience for visually impaired students, it can be difficult for them to follow the teacher’s instructions. While the student performed the task, I stood by his side, saying, “Triangle”, “Fold in half”, “Fold in half again”, “Insert the chopsticks diagonally”, and “Tie the ends of the chopsticks tightly with rubber bands”. For the more difficult steps, I folded the fabric and let him feel it, then had him fold it again on his own. I think this is quite important—students should be allowed to explore and complete tasks by themselves rather than having everything done for them—this is part of their journey of learning.

In the afternoon, we went to the Kahkahoe’an Cultural Village. A mochi-making activity kicked off after the docent finished their introduction to Saisiyat culture. Students were very keen to participate in the firewood chopping challenge before they started making mochi. They aimed and chopped, and the firewood logs fell in halves. Although their range of vision is relatively narrow, students with low vision can still see partial and blurry images. They can go outdoors like everybody else, as long as they are mindful of their safety.

When participating in volunteer activities, I chat with students about their daily lives and listen to their conversations among themselves. Their optimistic attitudes never fail to amaze me, and they fill my life with joy that keeps me coming back to volunteer again and again!