Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says International White Cane Day reminds the world of the importance of white cane as a tool enabling independence for people with visually impaired people.

She made these remarks in a speech delivered on her behalf at the International White Cane Day celebration at Ongwediva.

The celebration, which started with a march, was organised by the Namibian Federation of the Visually Impaired under the theme embracing inclusive education with my white cane.

In her statement, Nandi-Ndaitwah singled out obstacles that limit people with disabilities, such as accessibility to buildings and information and limited access to education, health care, training, and employment.

She says since independence, the government has taken various notable measures aimed at improving and protecting the interests of people with disabilities in Namibia.

Namibia honours obligations enshrined in the convention on the rights of persons with disabilities, specifically Article 9, which calls for Namibia to identify and eliminate obstacles and barriers faced by persons with disabilities.

On education, she says although the sector policy on inclusive education was endorsed in 2013, inequality in access to and quality education for people with visual impairments still exists to a great extent.

The Director of the Namibian Federation of the Visually Impaired, Moses Nghipandulwa, said, "Learners need to have textbooks in braille, and this is still a very big challenge when it comes to visually impaired learners; therefore, it's very hard for visually impaired learners to proceed to universities, and we don't know if the problem is lying with the school, ministry, or federation; maybe it's us who are not raising more awareness."

Oshana Governor Elia Irimari also spoke at the event: "Today we celebrate not only the symbolic role of the white cane as an empowering tool for individuals with visual impairments but also the broader vision of creating a world where inclusive education is a reality for all."