Given a choice between a lush green lawn with colourful flowers and a cluster of neem trees, you may not opt for a neem tree cluster to build your home in. Even though the profound goodness of the Neem is no secret, it is but obvious that the colorful pleasantness will capture your attention first. But what if one can have Neem trees and the beautiful garden together as the setting of a home! Won’t it be a dream come true?



I say this as I wish to emphasise the fact that both packaging and content must be excellent for any product or person to succeed in the true sense.



Today visually impaired women and girls are working hard to acquire all possible qualifications and skills, but does this lead them into the mainstream? Whether it is a job or a marriage, the choice often goes in the favour of sighted women. Most blind women have within themselves ample substance to be at par with their sighted counterparts, then where lies the gap?



Being a reasonably successful visually impaired blind woman myself, I may be able to identify and help bridge the same. I can assure you that a pleasing personality clubbed with appropriate qualifications will help visually impaired women carve out their rightful space in mainstream society.



Fashion is one thing and grooming plus personality development is all together another. Fashionable attire has no meaning when you have unkempt hands or a hair style that does not suit you. One comes across visually impaired people dressed in almost all colors that they can lay their hands upon. Imagine going out with a red saree and a pink blouse with a maroon lipstick and a purple hand bag? And to top it all you get behind yellow rimmed sunglasses! The impact of such an appearance will only evoke pity or a suppressed laugh and this will completely undermine any capability you may possess. Due to the absence of sight, many a time blind people remain unaware of the significance of the impact looks can make.



Here are some steps you may like to try out:



It is absolutely essential to follow basic rules of personal hygiene.



A daily bath is a must. Use soap and scrub ears, neck and feet. Application of a deodorant to keep foul smells at bay is advisable. Brushing of teeth at least twice a day and shampooing hair at least twice a week is important.



In case you are not in the favour of growing your nails, cut them once a week. If you fancy long nails, remember, they need to be cleaned many times a day as dirt collects inside them. By all means you can paint your nails, but please make sure nails are well shaped and the polish is not peeling off. To maintain nail polish, it would be a good idea to remove nail paint every alternate day and then repaint nails of hands, toe nails can be re-painted once a week. Stick to the same colour on both hands and feet. Choose colours which would match your skin tone and also match most colours you may wear. It would be advisable to get sighted family members/ friends to help select colors for you. Normally it is a good idea to wear natural transparent nail polish.



Coming to hair care next. As I mentioned above, hair must be clean but it takes more than just shampoo to keep it lustrous and tidy. The same holds true for your skin. A balanced diet with at least 8 to 10 glasses of water is a must along with weekly oiling of hair before shampoo. Moisturise your skin regularly keeping your skin type and seasons in mind.



Next you have your posture to look at. If you have a bent head, drooping shoulders and a slouching back topped with a sloppy walk, your efforts at grooming will be to a great extent diluted.



You can improve your posture by standing with your head, heels, shoulders and back touching the wall. Pull your stomach in and stay in this position for at least 10 minutes every day. Practice walking with heavy books balanced on your head without holding them for at least 15 minutes every day. Sit back in your chair with the lower back in contact with the base of the backrest of the chair. Slowly your body will adapt to being upright which will make you look smart and also keep you away from health hazards caused by wrong posture.



Once you have the above basics taken care of, you need to focus on your attire. While doing so, a number of aspects need to be considered. You need to visualise the place you would be going to and the occasion you would be attending. The time of day and season need to be kept in mind. It is important to select the colours and styles that enhance your looks. For example, if you have very slender shoulders, a few gathers on your sleeves may do magic but if you have broad shoulders, gathered sleeves may be a disaster. If you have any doubts of what may look good on you please don’t hesitate to take professional help, you can also get your family/friends to advice you on the same. Keep your ears open to compliments and try to keep to clothes which get you the maximum heartfelt applause.



Note: Please wear garments which are clean and well ironed. It is a must to wash every garment before reusing it.



Last but not the least; make physical exercise a part of your daily routine. This will keep you in good health and shape, adding to your self esteem and confidence.



All this done and you still have your social skills to watch. Do not dig your nose or ears in public. Refrain from scratching yourself all over. Look towards the person you are talking with and remember your manners. Please do not shake your head, legs or shoulders unnecessarily; this looks very awkward.



The contents of this article may sound not worth worrying about, but the moment you have consciously adopted all the rules, you will see the change in the attitude of people towards you. With your qualifications and skills along with now a pleasing well groomed personality in place, your disability will take a back seat allowing confidence to get behind the wheel to drive you on the road to success!