Come September, interested persons would be able to commence reading for a degree in optometry at the University of Guyana (UG) if the Caribbean Council for the Blind (CCB) has its way.
Speaking to Stabroek News recently, current Executive Director of the organisation, Arvel Grant, said the CCB hoped to establish a school of optometry for the English-speaking Caribbean. The aim would be to have part of the course anchored at UG and part at another university in the region. If all goes well, Grant said, by the beginning of the 2009 academic year the programme would become a reality.
Last week the organisation, which is represented locally by Eye Care Guyana through a board of trustees chaired by Stanley Cooke, met in Guyana and the optometry school was high on the agenda for discussion. According to Grant the CCB is being assisted by the International Council for Eye Health Education, based in South Africa, in the formulation of the curriculum for the degree. Professors Aseem Minto of Pakistan and Kovin Naidoo of South Africa are also assisting the organisation along with Angela Reading who is from the United Kingdom and attached to Eye Care Guyana.
Speaking about CCB, Grant said while his organisation was in the business of preventing blindness and restoring sight, an important function is creating opportunities for persons who are blind. The organisation was established since 1967 and now exists in some 22 countries with 29 members and 85 partner agencies. The council meets every two years and elects a board of directors and the members of the board meet twice a year. The organisation’s secretariat is located in Antigua.
