Born sighted into a middle-class family, twenty-three-year-old Anil Mhaske from Paithan, Aurangabad gradually began to lose his sight at the age of four. He was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic disorder of the eyes that causes loss of vision. His parents, however, enrolled him in a mainstream Marathi medium school.
At school, Anil found it difficult to see the blackboard but his teachers and classmates would assist him at all times. With the help of family and teachers in school, Anil cleared his Class X with merit. He went on to complete his Masters in Commerce from Deogiri College in Aurangabad in 2018, where too his teachers were very supportive.
Like any other youngster, Anil was left confused about his choice of career after completing his education. One day when he heard about Eyeway’s national helpline for the blind on radio, he immediately reached out to our Helpdesk to seek career guidance.
Despite his interest in becoming a Chartered Accountant, he was skeptical if he could take it up due to his vision loss. To clear his doubts, the Eyeway counsellor shared stories of visually impaired people who were successful Chartered Accountants and also connected him to a well-known CA for further counsel. He was also motivated to prepare for the upcoming CA Foundation entrance examination. The Eyeway counselor also suggested him various screen reading software and applications for his use. He was apprised about various organizations in Mumbai where he could undergo an advanced computer and mobility training to become independent so that he can function without having to rely on the assistance of others.
With Eyeway’s intervention, Anil is now confident to pursue his dream and is preparing for the entrance examination due in mid- November.