Press Releases

Budapest, November 16, 2012 09:30

In November and December 2012 those calling or sending text messages to the hello holnap! Donation Line 1788 or 13688 will be supporting the endeavours of the Hungarian Federation of the Blind and Partially Sighted, which looks back on a past of 90 years and groups 22 affiliated associations. Magyar Telekom has successfully operated the Donation Line for over 10 years and considers it important to promote with its support the achievement of equal opportunities.

The impairment of sight or its total absence impedes getting about in everyday life in a way that is inconceivable to us. Reading a book or paper, meeting friends, going to school or shopping—all these may require an extraordinary strength of will, concentration and lots of help. The Hungarian Federation of the Blind and Partially Sighted (MVGYOSZ) has been making the life of blind and vision impaired people easier for over 90 years now. The activity of the federation enables over 50,000 blind people to live their everyday life, to obtain information, to learn and work in the spirit of equal opportunities.

A general feature of their services is that they are unique in Hungary and are available for their members free of charge or at nominal prices. Blind and low or partially sighted people receive help in various ways: in the Talking Library of the Federation, which is unique in Hungary, works of literature are available to them. This library today helps not only the vision impaired but also dyslexics. The federation’s Braille Library is also unparalleled in Hungary. It is almost the only available source of literature for the use of multiply disabled deaf and blind people. The Federation’s Braille printing house produces publications, newspapers and textbooks, which considerably burdens their budget. Their medical aids shop sells special devices that help the blind lead their life independently. From among the more than 500 products available in these shops and indispensable for the vision impaired the state subsidises only the white cane. The federation trains the most guide dogs, for which the applicant pays only an insignificant amount, whereas training of a dog costs HUF 1.8 million. They give account of their activities in detail on the site  www.mvgyosz.hu.

The work of the federation is rendered more difficult by the fact that the size of the state support keeps shrinking each year and, instead of it, they can access support through tenders, which creates an uncertain situation for the over 50,000 vision-impaired people they help. The decline from year to year in real value of the state support makes the operation of the organisation and the assurance of their services increasingly difficult.

The hello holnap! Donation Line can be called from September 2012 on the number 13688, in addition to number 1788. Then, from January 1, 2003 it will be available only at the new 13688 number. These numbers can be called from both the fixed line and mobile telephone networks. The call and text message both cost HUF 100, VAT free and to be fully donated to the beneficiary organisation (with the exception of the calls initiated by Domino top-up cards, where 27 per cent VAT will be deducted). The fee of the calls received in November and December, 2012 will be fully donated as the callers’ donation to help the Hungarian Federation of the Blind and Partially Sighted.