Raising Awareness…
Here are some stories about the people we have helped, which explains the impact of our work and why we feel it is so important.

Willing to go the extra mile

18-year-old Sachin Kumar was born blind in district Basti of Uttar Pradesh. Like many visually impaired Eyeway callers, his family and community had little awareness and limited resources to raise a blind child. His father, a farmer had four other children to feed, leaving him no time to think about the future of his blind son.

Sachin, however, was an enthusiastic boy who made the most of what was available to him. He loved listening to radio programmes where he picked up ways to communicate with people around him. Listening to jokes and informative content over the radio made him happy.

When Sachin’s elder brother started working as a teacher, he gifted him a basic keypad phone. As he learnt to use the phone on his own, it opened ways for the young boy to the outside world. He got to know about Hamari Vaani, a social media platform for persons with disabilities that uses voice-based communication on ordinary phones, to create awareness and to connect all the stakeholders reach the unreached and scale the livelihood opportunities for persons with disabilities. Through Hamari Vaani, Sachin also learnt about the Eyeway Helpdesk.

When he called our toll free number, Sachin had no idea that visually impaired people could pursue education as sighted people did. He wanted to know if there was a way he could earn a living for himself and be independent. The Eyeway counselor recommended a yearlong rehabilitation and training programme through Blind Relief Association in Delhi. He was also counselled to pursue his Class 10 through the open board that would help him secure better job opportunities in future.

Sachin who has already joined the training, is ecstatic on starting a new life and is grateful to Eyeway for showing him the way forward. His family is relieved that Sachin can pursue his dreams despite the vision impairment.

On the path to self-discovery

Mabusabu was born into a poor family in Nandhigrama village of Bellary which lacked awareness on how to raise a blind child. This had left Mabusabu confined to his home, isolating him from the outside world and denying him access to mainstream education.

When Mabusabu suddenly lost his father a few years ago, his mother had to step into her husband’s shoes and provide for her three children. The sudden loss brought along with it many challenges for the family, compelling the mother to take up work in the fields. This had an impact on Mabusabu who wanted to contribute to his family to lessen the burden on his mother.

Having received no education or any formal training, he found himself ill-equipped to do anything about the circumstance his family was in. The disabling attitudes of Mabusabu’s family, who thought he was not capable of achieving anything on his own, compounded his challenges.

Mabusabu was determined to change his life and so when he received a smartphone from his brother, he made optimum use of it by listening to informative news and videos that helped him gain knowledge on various topics. It was also during this time that he learnt about Eyeway Helpdesk through a friend. Without wasting any time, he called up our toll-free number expressing his desire to do something worthwhile with his life.

Majority of Eyeway Helpdesk callers seek employment opportunities and the emotion behind it is usually to live a more independent and dignified life. Often the visually impaired and blind callers struggle to prove themselves to their families.

Understanding the need for rehabilitation and training, the Eyeway counsellor guided Mabusabu to enrol at National Association for the Blind (NAB) in Bangalore. He completed a four-month mobility and vocational training that has instilled new confidence in him. He was also suggested to complete his class 10 through a Government Blind school in Karnataka.

Stepping outside the four walls of his home to achieve what seemed impossible to his family has not only changed the 24-year-old Mabusabu’s life but it has also changed the attitudes of his family who were oblivious to what a blind person was capable of achieving with the right opportunities.

 

Ignorance and Apathy

Born blind in Pune, Maharashtra, Shruti Gujjar suffered at the hands of her family’s ignorance. Abandoned by her biological mother when she was only one, her stepmother considered the little girl a worthless burden. Family’s neglect led to delayed developmental milestones in Shruti, furthering her dependence on them.

The Eyeway centre in Mumbai received a desperate call from her stepmother, looking to rid herself of the girl’s responsibility. She asked for organizations that could offer permanent accommodation to her.

After a series of engagements, the Eyeway counselor understood the respective challenges faced by both mother and daughter. It was pertinent to counsel the family as much as looking for solutions to rehabilitate the girl.

Eyeway succeeded in sensitizing the mother towards the visually impaired girl’s different needs. Shruti could be an equal member of the family, like her sighted step brother, once she acquired adequate skills of independent living.

The real challenge was to find an organization willing to spend extra time and effort in training the thirteen-year-old to overcome her limitations. Institutions in and around Pune didn’t offer residential training facilities and so the counselor looked for solutions outside. An institute in Surendra Nagar, Gujarat has responded in the affirmative to impart rehabilitation training and other skills.

Absence of timely intervention not only stunted Shruti’s growth, but also turned the family apathetic towards the young child. Often the lack of support and solutions to families with visually impaired children provokes drastic measures like desertion.

Despite the Integrated Child Protection Schemes for vulnerable children in India, there are thousands like Shruti who are left to count on their fate. To ensure that such children also stand a fair chance at life, resources and mechanisms have to be in place to help them realise their true potential.

Evolving with exposure

In 2011, a timid young girl called the Eyeway Helpdesk from Kashmir. She asked several questions pertaining to vision impairment but was wary of giving out any personal details. Only several calls later did we figure that Qurat Khan suffered from gradual vision loss due to Retinitis Pigmentosa. Studying in Class 12, she explained her struggles in the classroom with the printed syllabus.
Qurat is one of the many visually impaired girls, who find themselves at the receiving end of societal stigma towards disability. She thought of herself as someone lesser than her ‘normal’ peers.
But the Eyeway counselors slowly helped her realise what all she could accomplish by learning new techniques. She was introduced to technology that would help her with studies and her mobility.
After undergoing the recommended computer training course at Enable India in Bangalore, she started to regain her confidence. With assistive technology, education became easier.
28 years old now, Qurat has secured a job as a primary school teacher. She called us recently to get first-hand insights into teaching sighted students.
Eyeway put her in touch with a blind teacher in Rajasthan, who is experienced in instructing a mainstream classroom. This interaction would prove informative and helpful for Qurat who is set to start her career. She would learn of tips and tools to aid her in imparting lessons seamlessly.
Apart from disseminating information and counseling, Eyeway often refers callers to other visually impaired people who may have more experience in a particular field.
This helps us build a network of visually impaired people who can help each other resolve various issues and reduce their dependence on sighted people or even a service like ours.

In spite of indifference and ignorance

Blind by birth, 33-year-old Deepak Daware is the sole breadwinner of his family in Nanded district of Maharashtra.

Deepak dropped out of college, ignorant of how to continue his education with his vision impairment. He then took up menial jobs for the sake of sustenance.

Struggling with an unstable and low income from selling knick-knacks, he applied for disability pension under the Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Anudan Yojana.

But the officials declared him ineligible for the provision as his yearly income exceeded the cap of INR 21,000.

Recently the annual income limit for the said scheme was revised to INR 50,000 and Deepak made a second trip to the district office to claim his pension.

Unaware and insensitive officials simply turned him away yet again, denying any such revision issued by the state department. Denied of his rights, Deepak asked Eyeway to intervene.

The Eyeway counselor provided him with the government resolution stating the revised provision and asked him to submit a copy of the same along with his disability pension application.

All paper work in order, Deepak and five of his visually impaired friends will soon receive the first installment of their disability pension.

Happy to have helped them, Eyeway didn’t stop at that. Our counselor identified job vacancies based on Deepak’s present qualifications. He was encouraged to complete his graduation simultaneously, so he can seek better employment opportunities in the future.

How long can we expect visually impaired people to continue relying on piece-meal offerings by the government?

In line with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016, there is an urgent need to steer people away from a ‘reservations-based’ mindset towards a more ‘empowering’ approach by providing them with equal opportunities of education and employment.

Aspiration, Perseverance, Optimism

Naseer Rashid lost his eye sight in an accident when he was three. A resident of the conflict ridden state of Jammu and Kashmir, where sighted students struggle to access mainstream education, Naseer’s family was unaware of ways to raise their blind child.

At 7, Naseer began his education in a Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan camp, enthusiastic and determined to work hard. As he grew older, he started exploring provisions in place for people with vision impairment, so he could cross the barriers in his path. Facing an issue with his scribe while appearing for Class X Board exam, the knowledge of government issued guidelines helped him fight for his rights.

Currently pursuing his final year of graduation, Naseer has been in regular contact with Eyeway for information on accessible study material. He has made use of free online libraries and assistive technology to further his educational goals.

But in a recent political jolt, he was confined to his home once again. As soon as the phone lines were restored in Kashmir, Naseer sought Eyeway’s help to pursue a skill-based training programme outside of the state.

His ambitions mired in confusion, Eyeway guided him with higher education options in other states. He was also made to enroll in a computer training programme under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana in Delhi.

The computer course will not only help him study independently using technology but also equip him to work alongside sighted peers.

Naseer wants to complete his Masters and Ph.D. in a more accessible environment. He aspires to return qualified and ensure that every visually impaired kid in his state continues to dream big.

Donning a new avatar

34-year-old Praveen Shankhdhar had a steady career in advertising before he experienced sudden sight loss. He lost his job as an Art Director, given the inability to work using visual media. Too shocked to respond, he reached out to his family.

He went from one eye doctor to another but his vision continued to recede. Praveen was barely able to accept his physical condition when his family abandoned him. Married and a father of a three-year-old girl, he was further traumatized by such brutal indifference.

Fortunately, his friends offered support and sent him to Shankar Nethralaya for treatment. But the vision loss was permanent and the doctors suggested him to undergo rehabilitation.

Praveen felt hopeless until he joined the one-year training programme at the All India Confederation for the Blind. When he saw other visually impaired people, studying, working and functioning independently, he was pleasantly surprised.

As he learnt new skills, reorienting his ways, his notion of blindness began to change. But he was still unemployed. In a round table discussion organized by Eyeway, Praveen got an opportunity to narrate his personal account to a gathering of medical and rehabilitation professionals, government body and non-profit representatives working towards empowering people with vision impairment.

As a fallout of his interactions at the conference, Praveen was recently offered a job by the General Secretary of National Association for Blind (NAB) Delhi. Almost three years later, Praveen has resumed work as a Project Officer at NAB. He is happy to put his prior managerial experience and newly acquired skills to use in the new role.

Praveen is determined to show the world what he or any blind person can achieve.

Sharing his blessings

The Eyeway Helpdesk receives 1500 to 2000 calls a month from visually impaired people across India. Most callers ask for opportunities of education and employment, government provisions and guidelines, aids and appliances, anything that will enable them to lead an independent life.

While the majority of the country’s 5.4 million blind population is a victim to ignorance, there are some who belie the stereotypes and ill-conceived societal notions with their hard work and grit.

A resident of Akola in Maharashtra, 44-year-old Rajesh Borle is one such case. Blind by birth, Rajesh was fortunate to have a supportive family and access to mainstream education. After acing his school examinations, Rajesh completed his MA and B.Ed. He has since been working as a special educator in an integrated school in his hometown.

During the course of his job, he learnt of the challenges faced by some of his visually impaired pupils. Their families treated them as a burden, some were abandoned, some struggled to pay for their education and accommodation.

Rajesh decided to help his students by not only spending extra time teaching but also lodging eight of them at his home. He would often call the Eyeway helpline in Mumbai seeking information on scholarships under government schemes, other benefits for students and the latest technology that could help in improving access to study material.

His own income insufficient to meet all the needs of his family and students, he thought of making additional money from investing in the stock market. Eyeway put him in touch with a group of visually impaired investors for expert advice.

Contrary to common perception of disability leading to dependency, Rajesh Borle is an ‘enabler’. Having overcome his own challenges, he is now determined to empower as many visually impaired children as he can.

Defying the odds

21-year-old Sandeep Kumar was born blind in Samastipur, Bihar. He struggled against all odds to study till Class 8. Schools in his district denied him admission and teachers didn’t want to waste their time on a blind boy. He was fourteen when he enrolled in a Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan camp, where he learnt to read and write in Braille. Despite his interest and hard work, his progress was stunted by lack of awareness and scant resources.

His family wanted him to marry a sighted girl who could look after him. When he called to seek Eyeway’s help in the matter, it was evident that he wasn’t convinced. He knew marriage entailed responsibility and he wasn’t well-equipped.

Sandeep had taken initiative to educate himself using his knowledge of Braille. He even learnt to use a smartphone exploring the built-in TalkBack feature. But he didn’t know of a proper way forward and that’s where Eyeway helped him.

Learning about possibilities of education and employment, Sandeep persuaded his family to put the marriage plans on hold until he becomes ‘able’.

Today, Sandeep is in Delhi, all set to start a short-term course in learning computers using screen reading software. He has enrolled to appear for Class 10 through open schooling. And he plans to join a one-year multi-skill training programme in January 2020.

Sandeep wants to bring about a change in the way things stand back home. He doesn’t want other blind kids to suffer at the hands of mainstream institutions in the absence of special educators. He wants to use his acquired knowledge and skills in imparting better education.

As for marriage, that will happen in due course once he finds someone who can respect him for his abilities.

Challenging ‘disabling’ attitudes

Twenty-four-year-old Chandrakanta Kumari suffered from gradual vision loss, becoming totally blind when she was pursuing Class 12. She still managed to finish her graduation. When she called Eyeway from her hometown, Gaya in Bihar, she sought help in finding a job.

She shared that her parents won’t allow her to move about on her own, as they believed that disability had left her dependent and helpless. But Chandrakanta refused to give in to the societal stereotype of being doubly disabled as a blind woman.

Even though she sat idle for three years, she didn’t stop scouting for solutions. She found Eyeway toll-free number and also heard of government job reservations for persons with vision impairment.

She inquired on ways to prepare for competitive exams so she could become eligible for employment. While our counselors told her about tools and techniques of accessing study material and filing job applications, the team also helped build her confidence to adjust and deliver in a mainstream work set-up. Eyeway guided her with demos to use screen reading software to access computers and several other apps that would make her independent.

A quick learner, Chandrakanta cracked the state exam, landing a clerical position with a bank in Begusarai. But the bank stalled in issuing her an offer letter. She suspected discrimination on grounds of her disability. Eyeway informed her of the provisions and guidelines laid down by the government for employment and reasonable accommodation in terms of accessibility at the workplace.

Armed with knowledge of her rights, Chandrakanta confronted the bank officials, explaining to them her abilities and ways in which she could deliver in her role, like any able-bodied person. When she demonstrated how she could work using computers and other assistive devices, the bank caved in.