Thirty-year-old Naresh was born blind to a low-income family in Andhra Pradesh. Illiterate themselves, both his parents were keen on educating their son, despite the lack of awareness on raising a child with vision impairment. On a relative’s suggestion, Naresh was enrolled in a special school for the blind, where he studied till Class X. He was then admitted in a regular institution, following which he completed his Bachelors degree. At present, Naresh is pursuing his Masters in Literature.

Alongside his academics, Naresh also acquired skills to use computer with the aid of screen reading software. All his efforts were focused on securing a job so he could support his family and become independent. He also did a short three-month employability training in Bangalore for the same.
But he lacked proper guidance on what opportunities were available and most importantly how to access them. He came in touch with the Eyeway Helpdesk in Karnataka, where he was advised to acquire needs-based training at Enable India. This would equip him with specific skills for certain job roles. The helpdesk counselor also suggested Naresh to prepare for various competitive exams to explore government jobs in railways, banking, civil services and so on.
Naresh is currently undergoing training, for employment specific skills including communication and resume building. Despite his blindness, he is the only one in his family with college degrees. He is hopeful of an independent future once he lands an appropriate job. There are many blind people who have the academic eligibility but are not job-ready for present market needs. Eyeway works with partner NGOs like Enable India so thousands like Naresh can secure their economic standing in the society.