Monica and Madhubala are sisters and both were born blind. Sure their parents were disappointed but, once they realised that there was no treatment available, they moved on with life. They ensured that their daughters had a regular childhood studded with milestones, learning and fun. They gave them the best education, and taught them to be independent, whether it be moving around, handling their personal affairs or their choices. They were given the freedom to dream and do what they liked. Both Monica and Madhubala today work with leading multinationals; Monica, a trainer and Madhubala, a learning and development facilitator. Both of them are married and have a son each.

 

Preeti Monga started losing her eyesight at the age of 6 and by the time she reached class 8, she had lost all her sight. Her school felt that they could not handle it and told her parents to take her out and put her in a blind school. It is commonly thought that blind people are good at music, so her parents got her to learn the Sitar. After 7 years of learning the Sitar, Preeti realised that she hadn’t made too much progress and her Guru plainly told her that she had no ear for music. The idea of making a career from music was then set aside.

 

Preeti began learning Aerobics and became India’s first blind Aerobic instructor. Alongside this she joined a company selling pickles and chips. Again Preeti’s parents looked at the abilities that Preeti had instead of feeling sorry about her disability and so-called misfortune. Preeti moved on to Public Relations with a Hospital and after a few years set up her own HR consulting firm called Silver Lining Consultants. She is into corporate recruitment, training, printing solutions and host of other related activities. In the span of a couple of years her business expanded, compelling her brother and husband to join. Preeti gives total credit to her parents for her confidence, positive mindset and her ability to take risks. Preeti is married, has two married children and grandchildren too.

 

Tejinder Gulati had 4 children all blind. She was left to bring up these children single handed. She was a housewife with limited education. Her parents gave her a simple piece of advice - Educate the children, empower them, make them independent and ensure that they stand on their own feet. She took up a job as a sales person and set out to bring up her 4 blind children. She looked for a good school and did whatever it took to give the best possible education within her means to all of her children. She believed in the talent and ability of her children and knew that her role was to give them the opportunity to develop. Tough though it was, today all her children are working professionals, two of them married.

 

The above stories clearly establish that being blind is no reason for life to stop. Blindness might be an inconvenience but it is certainly not a road block. There will be challenges, but the approach should be to look for solutions. Parents must look at their blind child as a potential resource perfectly capable of growing up and not only contributing to the family but also to the Nation. It is the responsibility of parents to invest in their children and expect them to grow up as responsible citizens. Parents must invest time and money on good education, values, attitudes, and personal independence. It is about nurturing the blind child to become part of the Human Resource of the country.

 

It is no longer about just looking after a liability; it is about grooming and investing in the future.