Lending a hand: Thilaga guiding a pupil as she reads the Iskandar Malaysia Ecolife Challenge workbook, which was translated into braille. Looking on are Sae’dah (far left) and Muhammad Ilman Hafiy (right).
JOHOR BARU: Suffering from visual impairment has not stopped a 12-year-old from participating in low-carbon activities to do his part for the environment.
Apart from gaining environmental knowledge from teachers at SK Pendidikan Khas Princess Elizabeth, Year Six pupil Muhammad Ilman Hafiy Mohd Noor Hafizan also learnt to change his daily habits after reading the Iskandar Malaysia Ecolife Challenge (IMELC) workbook, which was translated into braille.
“I have complete vision loss in my left eye while my right eye has a prescription of more than 800 degrees so having the workbook about sustainability in braille was very useful for me.
“After reading about how our daily habits can impact the environment, I became more interested in changing my lifestyle because being wasteful will contribute to climate change and global warming.
“For the past year, I have been mindful about my water and electricity consumption at my hostel and at home, and also reduced single-use plastics in my daily life,” he said.
The pupil added that he is also actively involved in the school’s gardening project, where they have planted chilli, brinjals, okras and herbs.
“I usually water the plants with water from the school fishpond as the nutrients also help the crops grow beautifully.
“I hope the braille workbook can be shared with more visually-impaired kids and adults so that they, too, can contribute to a greener future,” he said.
Muhammad Ilman Hafiy’s actions were recognised when he won the top spot in last year’s IMELC for the pupil and family icon category.
IMELC, which started in 2013, is an annual project by the Johor Education Department, Iskandar Regional Development Authority and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), that aims to educate students about a low-carbon society.
SKPK Princess Elizabeth headmistress Sae’dah Yasinan said the school has adopted green initiatives as part of their teaching plan, and as an inclusive move to let the special kids do their part for the environment.
“Just because they are visually-impaired does not mean that they cannot take part in such activities.
“Since we introduced gardening into our lessons, they have shown immense interest. We also noticed that the pupils developed a strong sense of responsibility and ownership towards the plants and have taken steps to care for them more,” she said.
She added that the workbook was translated into braille by teacher C. Thilaga, who is also the school’s IMELC coordinator.
“Translating the book into braille does not take up much time but we are sure that the impact will be felt in the long run,” Sae’dah said, adding that the school has 67 pupils with visual impairment and learning disabilities.
Meanwhile, UTM senior lecturer Dr Nina Diana Nawi said the sustainability module contains six chapters covering topics such as checking utility bills, energy-saving habits, vehicle usage, waste management, renewable energy and exploring local flora and fauna.
“The book, developed by UTM, was initially produced in hardcopy and later digitally.
“We were touched that the school has taken the initiative to translate it into braille for visually-impaired kids.
“This ensures no one is left behind in our efforts to educate the young about the concepts of climate change, global warming, greenhouse gases and low-carbon lifestyle,” added Nina, who is also a IMELC committee member.
