The two-day conference on ``Rehabilitation of Blind Women,'' organised by Andhjan Shikshan Mandal, expressed concern at the ``paucity of facilities in the field of education, vocational training, rehabilitation, employment and and aftercare of blind women''

The conference adopted a 10-point resolution, which will be forwarded to the Union Government for consideration. The resolution stresses that the Union and State Government, the Union Territories and voluntary organisations working to aid blind women, have to make considerable extra efforts to bring the problems faced by blind women and girls to the forefront.

The conference urged all NGOs to enhance participation of blind women in decision-making bodies. It said all NGOs working for blind people should put in place a mechanism to focus on ``unique concerns and issues of the blind women.''

The conference recommended an amendment of recruitment policies of NGOs and reserve 20 per cent jobs for blind persons, of which half should be kept aside for blind women. It has also suggested that in all educational programmes run NGOs, blind girls' participation should be ``gradually and steadily'' increased to bring their percentage equal with their male counterparts. It urged every NGO to try set up a vocational training and counselling cell to enhance the capacity of blind women in becoming economically independent.

The conference has asked for special facilities for blind women in old-age homes. For professionally qualified blind women to benefit from reservation of government jobs, it has urged the Government to reserve at least 30 per cent seats in the exiting hostels for working women.

The conference called for special efforts in programmes of legal literacy, media workshop, leadership training for dissemination of information regarding various schemes of the Union and State Governments which focus on development and employment of women. This information should be urgently collected, collated and translated in format which is understandable.

Referring to the Rajkot seminar, organised by the National Association for the Blind (NAB), which has proposed a plan of action for the rehabilitation of blind women, the conference demanded its expeditious implementation.

According to NAB secretary general R Vyas, out of every one lakh Indians, there are 1,000 blind men and another 950 blind women. He said the equation is very alarming and calls for some concrete steps to by the Government and NGOs.

A survey conducted by NAB in Surat district during April 1998 and March 1999 has revealed that in Choryasi taluka comprising 86 villages 109 women and 98 men were suffering from blindness. In Palsana taluka, where there are 48 villages, 46 women and 30 men were blind. A total of 53 women and 68 men were blind in 62 villages in Mahuwa taluka; 26 women and 42 men in Bardoli and 84 women and 85 men in 190 villages of Mangrol taluka.

; 14 women and 20 men in 149 villages Mandvi taluka; 77 women and 40 men in 104 villages of Nizar taluka; 51 women and 76 men in 70 villages of Uchchal taluka; 96 women and 137 men of 114 villages of Vyara taluka and 108 women and 139 men of 169 villages of Songadh taluka .