Blind Panamanians tackle Panamas highest peak

A GROUP of 15 blind Panamanian adventurers, formed by women and men, were climbing to Panama’s highest point Volcán Barú on the weekend.

Volcán Barú, in Chiriqui, is 3,475 meters high.

The group is seeking to promote hiking for people with visual impairments and the message that physical disability is no impediment to fulfilling dreams.
The climbers are members of the Panamanian Association of People with Visual Impairment.
"The people climbing Volcán Barú are young professionals with visual disabilities who aspire to break a personal goal in their lives," National Secretariat for Disabilities official José Townshend told La Prensa.
They were guided by three experts and support was provided by the civil defense agency Sinaproc and border protection agency Senafront.
According to surveys,11.3 percent of the total population (370.053 people) are disabled, with 83,000 of those having impaired vision.