Sports massage opens up job opportunities for the visually impaired

KUALA LUMPUR - There is a need for visually impaired masseurs to raise their skills in the field of sports massage, Malaysian Association for The Blind (MAB) president Datuk George Thomas said.

Such skills would bring more job opportunities for them and help them boost their incomes he said, as there were many sports activities organised, both indoors and outdoors, allowing them to provide the best services to customers.

"Masseurs or therapists themselves have high job prospects both locally and internationally. Exposure and structured training from experts through modules can be used to help participants apply massage techniques immediately and effectively,” he said during his speech at the launch of the Physical Health Therapy Braille book and course by Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) Head of Medical Board and Medical View Department Dr Edrin Nazri Abdul Rasib, who was representing Perkeso chief executive officer Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed here recently.

The publication of the book was a result of cooperation between Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Medical Faculty, Sports and Recreational Sciences Faculty, and the Barakah Medical Wellness Centre and will be used as a reference for those undergoing the Physical Health Therapy course.

George said 82 participants from MAB managed to complete the Sports Massage Course Level One with 16 of them now undergoing further training for the Physical Health Therapy course.

Three series of Sports Massage Course Level One and Two for the professional Physical Health Therapy course have been planned this year, aimed at certifying 50 visually disabled masseurs.

In other developments, George shared that 59,280 visually disabled individuals have registered with the Social Welfare Department as of Feb 29, with around 2,600 visually disabled children in mainstream schools and 190 of them registered at institutions of higher learning in the country. - BERNAMA