Life cannot be felt or enjoyed without vision. This was the observation made by over 50 participants who took part in the "Experience Blindness" event that was organised at Brookefields Mall in the city on Sunday.

To mark the World Sight Day celebrations 2011, Sankara Eye Centre in association with Rotary Coimbatore Central, Suryan FM and Brookefields had organised the event. Participants were blindfolded with a black cloth and were asked to form a chain. The idea was to make the participants feel how visually-impaired people manage.

Sverre Sveum Moen, a software consultant from Norway, who is in the city on a cultural exchange programme, said that it was challenging to face life without vision. He added that efforts must be taken globally to eradicate blindness and encourage people donate eyes.

R.V. Ramani, Founder and Managing Trustee of Sankara Eye Centre, said that vision was God's gift to behold the beauty of nature. He added that the people should make sure that all human beings are blessed with eyesight and said that to be blind is not fair, if it can be prevented by quality treatment. B.K. Krishnaraj Vanavarayar, Chairman, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and S.V. Balasubramaniam, Chairman, Sankara Eye Centre also spoke.
Global attention

World Sight Day is observed annually to draw the global attention on blindness, visual impairment and rehabilitation of the visually impaired. The World Health Organisation and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness is on a global effort to prevent blindness with the theme, "Vision 2020: The Right to Sight".