Twenty-six-year-old Kush Verma has many aspirations. After an oxygen overdose at birth left him blind, his wealthy parents from Ahmedabad, Gujarat tried everything in their reach but didn’t succeed in restoring his vision. With no awareness on raising a blind child, they confined Kush to home till he turned ten.
On a family friend’s suggestion, he was enrolled into a blind school. At school, Kush’s desire to learn and progress was evident in the pace at which he picked up braille and mobility skills. He went on to complete his Class 12 examinations. During this time, he developed a keen interest in learning computers and hence expressed his desire to pursue his Bachelor’s in Computer Applications from a renowned institution outside his state. His parents feared leaving their blind son alone in an unknown place. Kush, therefore, had to persist with a regular BA course in his city.
When Kush contacted the Eyeway Helpdesk, his inclination towards establishing a career in technology still ran strong. Equipped to deal with parents who often focus on the impairment over the potential of their child, Eyeway counselor thought it best to first counsel the parents by citing accounts of other successful blind people. Kush’s parents were guided to shift their focus on their son’s capabilities as an individual. Further, we facilitated his enrolment in the Technical Training Institute in Pune for a year- long Accessibility testing course which requires him to attend classes remotely for nine months and physical training in the campus for the last three months.
Eyeway is hopeful that Kush’s progress in the course will have a positive impact and free his parents of all apprehensions.
Ignorance on responding to blindness or raising children with vision impairment permeates across socio-economic status of families. Like Kush, there are numerous others who need opportunities to prove their ability to accomplish despite the disability.