21-year-old Ambuj Mishra contacted the Eyeway Helpdesk from Jaunpur, UP. Although he was visually impaired by birth, it was never medically diagnosed until he was in 6th standard in school when his vision started substantially deteriorating. Till then without having any knowledge on the impending sight loss, he managed with a pair of spectacles. Ignoring any challenges that arose with his diminishing vision, he studied in a mainstream school all the way completing his 12th standard.
Although Ambuj joined college to pursue his BA, he had to drop out after the 2nd year due to various challenges He found writing his exams increasingly difficult and he had no clue that visually impaired students could use scribes for help. Several family members and friends also discouraged him stating it was impossible for him to complete his education given his visual impairment. The absolute lack of information and misplaced ideas resulted in Ambuj giving up his graduation.
But Ambuj being a very hardworking and ambitious man never let any of these of challenges affect his pursuits. In 2017 he joined a Diploma in Education (D.ed) in pursuit of a teaching job. He also contacted Eyeway seeking help for education and employment opportunities. He realized that he needed proper training in English and computers to secure a decent job and therefore he sought our Helpdesk counselor advice on available courses. The Eyeway counselor suggested Ambuj Mishra to join English classes in Desai Foundation, Mumbai and for computer courses he was put in touch with various organizations like Blind Persons Association, New Delhi, NIVH Dehradun and Samarthanam Trust, New Delhi. Making use of all the relevant information along with proper guidance, Ambuj enrolled in an English speaking course at Desai Foundation and will also start with his computer training with Samarthanam Trust, shortly.
He also managed to complete the final year of his graduation furnishing a gap certificate for two years. Ambuj wants to make sure that he has ample skills so that he can get the best job pertaining to his abilities. Although his qualifications were limited, he is driven by the need to study more so that he can find the right job and be independent.