Thought it was all over

Earlier this year, Eyeway Helpdesk in Bangalore received a call from a worried father whose son’s vision had drastically deteriorated in the past few months.

Although Suresh’s son Sumanth had low vision and night blindness by birth, he could still function with the limited eyesight. Studying in a mainstream school, suddenly he was unable to read or write.

The father-son duo was depressed in their own ways. While Sumanth felt it was impossible to complete his education, Suresh didn’t know how he could help his son cope with such difficulties.

The Eyeway counselor addressed their concerns, helping them take baby steps forward. Suresh was guided on ways to teach by recording audio notes. Sumanth was put through extensive counseling sessions to come to terms with his disability.

They were put in touch with NGOs specializing in teaching Maths and Science to persons with vision impairment. Sumanth was also enrolled for computer training at Enable India and connected with scribes who could help him write his exams until he became confident of doing so using the digital medium.

Hearing inspirational stories and meeting with other visually impaired students during the course of his training, Sumanth slowly began to accept his blindness. He moved away from self-pity to a more reassuring attitude towards life. And with all the guidance, family’s help and his own hard work, he cleared Class 12 scoring 91 percent!

Rejoiced with the progress, Sumanth is beginning to see the benefits of proper mobility and computer training. Our counselor has created a customized training schedule for him, before he starts preparing for college.

As for Suresh, who had quit his job to look after his son, this intervention has brought hope and the smile back on his face. He is confident that Eyeway will empower Sumanth to build a bright future for himself.