A resident of Ernakulum district of Kerala, 27-year-old Amitha was diagnosed with a degenerative eye condition in Class 5. At school; she mostly occupied the front seat in her classroom to have clearer access to the blackboard for reading. Despite facing challenges while studying in a mainstream school, Amitha with the support of her family went on to complete her Master’s degree in English. She even cleared the UGC’s National Eligibility Test (NET), becoming eligible for an Assistant Professor’s post. Unfortunately, she was not selected by the college where she applied for a job.
Amitha did not let the rejection dampen her spirit. She reached out to Eyeway seeking help with the procedure to register for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). While the Eyeway counselor guided her with the registration process, the counselor also realized the need for basic computer training to enable her to access study material and online platforms for her examination. She was counseled on the importance of computer skills for better employment opportunities.
She was further guided to enroll for windows-based training at RCG Foundation followed by an advanced six-month course from Karnataka Eyeway Helpdesk partner, Enable India. With the hard work and keen interest in learning, Amitha stood out in her batch and became proficient in computers and English language.
Three years later when the coronavirus pandemic brought everything to a screeching halt, Amitha reached out to Eyeway again looking for job opportunities as a computer trainer. The counsellor encouraged her to start online classes given the lack of jobs due to the pandemic crisis.
Amitha paid heed to Eyeway’s advise and started her own online computer and English classes for visually impaired people.
With 90% vision impairment, Amitha has managed to overcome several barriers, carving out her own independent path.