Twenty-two-year-old Anup Kumar was born blind in Rai Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh. Anup has five other siblings, including a sister who is also visually impaired. Being poor and uneducated, the family was unaware about ways of educating children with blindness. There was added stigma induced by the surrounding community. Society tends to believe that blind people need lifelong support for their day to day living. Anup and his sister remained confined to their home, with little exposure to the outside world.

 
Anup found a comforting distraction in the form of motivational videos online. One of his friends taught him how to access YouTube on his smartphone. He was hooked to the content related to the scope of success and abilities in persons with disabilities. He showed these videos to his family to raise their awareness about life with blindness. On discovering the Eyeway YouTube channel, he called the helpline for further information.
 
The Eyeway Helpdesk counselor apprised him of the possibilities of education, training and employment. Understanding his challenges and the desire to move forward, the counselor recommended enrolling in a vocational training program in an institute in Delhi.
 
Excited to learn that he could be rehabilitated, Anup convinced his father to bring him to Delhi. He has registered for a handicraft-making course alongside learning basics of computers with screen reader, English communication and personality development.
 
Forgetting about his lost years, Anup has his mind focused on the future. He wants to gain independence of mobility and start a small business of his own to meet his financial needs. He also wants to use this new-found knowledge about leading a fulfilling life despite blindness, to educate people so that no blind child is ever discouraged or isolated from the mainstream.
 
Once he finds success, he is hopeful that his sister will also be encouraged to step out and make a career of her own.  
 
 
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For any information related to living life with blindness, please visit - http://eyeway.org.in/