Twenty-six-year-old Sunikshya Panigrah hails from Kalahandi district in Odisha. She was born with an eye condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa which results in gradual vision loss. Currently, Sunikshya has an 80% vision impairment.
 
For persons with low vision, there are various tools available to perform activities of daily living. Sunikshya uses the magnifier and zoom function to see display content on screen, whether it is her phone or on the computer.
 
In 2020, she completed her master’s degree in commerce from a university in Sambhalpur. She also acquired good English and Hindi communication skills, following which she secured a teacher’s job in a college.
 
Unfortunately, after five months of her employment, the covid pandemic hit and Sunikshya lost her job. Since then, she was desperately seeking government job opportunities for job security. When she came in touch with the Eyeway Helpdesk, the counselor educated her about further vision loss she may experience, and the need for her to be prepared for the worst. She was advised to learn screen reading software, instead of only relying on magnifying tools.
 
The Eyeway counselor helped Sunikshya enroll for a basic computer training program at the SABAL Center for Abilities in Odisha itself. She could access new skilling opportunity near her place of residence this way. Apart from gaining proficiency with computers, she also acquired mobility skills at the center, to help her navigate places independently.
 
Alongside preparing for government jobs, the counselor recommended that Sunikshya acquire job market readiness skills. This would train her in communication skills, interpersonal skills, how to appear for interviews, how to start and lead conversations and more. The course will prepare her for potential employment opportunities in private and government sector, both. Sunikshya will start the training with Enable India from next week.
Team Eyeway