Mo FE& PT at Empowering Independence: One-Week National Training on Orientation, Mobility, and White Cane Techniques for Women with Visual Impairment

An exclusive one-week training course titled “Orientation, Mobility and White Cane Techniques” was successfully organized by the National Mobility & Independence Training Centre (NM&ITC) at the National Institute of Special Education, (NISE), Islamabad , from 28th July to 1st August 2025. 
Tailored for women with visual impairments, the training aimed to build their confidence, promote independent mobility, and equip them with essential daily living skills. A total of 14 female participants from across Pakistan including Layyah, Peshawar, Sargodha, Swabi, Malakand, Haripur, and Mirpur (AJK) participated in the program. All attendees were accommodated in the hostel facility, and notably, Ms. Shumaila Kiran, a player of the National Women’s Blind Cricket Team, was also among the trainees.
The week-long training covered a wide range of foundational and advanced mobility concepts. It began with an introduction to the principles and importance of orientation and mobility, followed by sessions on sensory development and familiarization with mobility aids. Practical demonstrations included self-protection techniques, sighted guide methods, navigating narrow spaces, seating techniques, and walking in single and double lines. With the white cane, participants practiced grip, two-touch, three-touch, slide, diagonal, and pencil techniques. Stair navigation, an advanced mobility skill, was also thoroughly taught.
Beyond technical training, the hostel experience at NISE was transformed into a fun and inclusive learning environment through accessible indoor games such as Luddo, Chess, Nine Men’s Morris, and playing cards adapted for the visually impaired and story reading in Braille. These activities fostered peer bonding and recreational engagement.
The course concluded with a dignified closing ceremony, where certificates were awarded by officers from the Directorate General of Special Education and the Project Coordination Unit, Ministry of Federal Education & Professional Training. Participants shared reflections on their transformative experience, expressing gratitude for the empowering training provided by NM&ITC. Being first of its kind as a focus group female specific training, the program by Directorate General of Special Education ,Mo FE & PT  stands as a significant step toward the inclusion and self-reliance of women with visual impairments in Pakistan.