UCC: Level 400 Optometry Students Turn Coursework Into Support for Visually Impaired Peers

Level 400 students of the School of Optometry and Vision Science (SOVS) at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) have translated classroom learning into social impact by donating five voice recorders and white canes to support students with visual impairment on campus.

The donation, presented to beneficiaries through the Resource Centre for Alternate Media and Assistive Technology (RCAMAT), was undertaken as part of a practical requirement of a course titled Low Vision, which encourages students to engage directly with the needs of vulnerable groups in society.

Miss Mildred Mensah, a Level 500 student who led the initiative on behalf of her colleagues, said the items donated were critical learning and mobility tools for visually impaired students. She explained that voice recorders, alongside Braille materials, play a significant role in helping students access lectures and academic content.

“Recorders are very important in the lives of visually impaired students because they help them access learning materials,” she said, adding that the donation was also intended to assist students who are unable to afford white canes, which are essential for safe movement across campus.

Coordinator of RCAMAT, Prof. Irene Vanderpuye, welcomed the gesture, describing it as timely and thoughtful. She noted that white canes would significantly enhance the independence of visually impaired students by enabling them to navigate their environment more confidently.

“The white canes will provide the visually impaired the opportunity to navigate their environment a lot better, while avoiding over-dependence on family and loved ones,” Prof. Vanderpuye said.

She stressed that support for persons with visual impairment should go beyond sympathy. “They do not need sympathy but empathy, accompanied by an enabling environment to succeed,” she added.

The initiative highlights how academic programmes at UCC are increasingly incorporating community engagement and social responsibility, using coursework to foster empathy, innovation, and practical solutions to real-life challenges faced by students and society at large.