Majority of our society believes blind and visually impaired cannot function independently. At most they can sing and take that up as a profession. But innovations in technology have opened up an array of career opportunities for them. Today good education can land blind individuals in various sectors like IT, Railways, Banking, Finance, Journalism and so on.
Twenty-year-old Fehimina Shaikh hails from a small town in Nandurbar district of Maharashtra. She has lost 60% of her eye sight to Retinitis Pigmentosa. But coming from a well-educated family, with her blind father and sister both working as History professors, Fehimina had her own dreams. She wanted to become a pilot and since she managed seeing during the day, she opted for Science stream after Class X.
However, as her vision deteriorated and she faced difficulty in pursuing subjects like Math and Physics, Fehimina realized her dream was far from achievable. Confused and disoriented, she started looking for options online. There was no proper career guidance available for an ambitious blind student like her. She chanced upon Eyeway toll-free number and called the helpline.
Eyeway counselors have been closely guiding her since 2018. Learning about various possibilities, Fehimina chose to do a Bachelors in Social Work. Now she is pursuing a Masters in the subject and wants to try her luck at cracking the UPSC exam. The counselor advised her to focus on one thing at a time as UPSC preparation can be time consuming.
She was advised to pursue her Masters in English medium from a reputed institution like TISS in Mumbai so she stands a better chance at employment. In the process of preparing for TISS entrance exam, Fehimina faced difficulty with English language. To overcome this, Eyeway recommended her to join online courses and inculcate the habit of reading regularly. She got help from the counselor in enrolling on accessible digital libraries like Bookshare and Sugamya Pustakalaya.
Career counseling during school years is critical for students, irrespective of disability. For blind people, it’s even more important as their choice of subjects is sometimes limited by the physical condition. Having discovered a new passion, Fehimina is determined to achieve independent living.
However, as her vision deteriorated and she faced difficulty in pursuing subjects like Math and Physics, Fehimina realized her dream was far from achievable. Confused and disoriented, she started looking for options online. There was no proper career guidance available for an ambitious blind student like her. She chanced upon Eyeway toll-free number and called the helpline.
Eyeway counselors have been closely guiding her since 2018. Learning about various possibilities, Fehimina chose to do a Bachelors in Social Work. Now she is pursuing a Masters in the subject and wants to try her luck at cracking the UPSC exam. The counselor advised her to focus on one thing at a time as UPSC preparation can be time consuming.
She was advised to pursue her Masters in English medium from a reputed institution like TISS in Mumbai so she stands a better chance at employment. In the process of preparing for TISS entrance exam, Fehimina faced difficulty with English language. To overcome this, Eyeway recommended her to join online courses and inculcate the habit of reading regularly. She got help from the counselor in enrolling on accessible digital libraries like Bookshare and Sugamya Pustakalaya.
Career counseling during school years is critical for students, irrespective of disability. For blind people, it’s even more important as their choice of subjects is sometimes limited by the physical condition. Having discovered a new passion, Fehimina is determined to achieve independent living.
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