Overcoming barriers
Thirty-year-old Mohammad Faisal lives in Paharganj, Delhi. He was born blind due to an optic nerve issue, into a low-income family. His father manufactures plumbing parts, and his mother is a housewife.
Ignorant of any resources on living life with blindness, Faisal was confined to the four walls of his room until the age of 12. A family friend's visit changed this dire situation, when he revealed that blind children could pursue education in a special school. Inspired by this new information, Faisal's parents enrolled him in Delhi Andh Vidyalaya, where he studied till Class 6.

After which the teachers advised him to switch to an open school system, which is essentially distance learning. He finished Class 10 through CBSE in 2016, then 11th and 12th from Rani Jhansi Government Bal Vidyalaya.

Soon after completing his school education, Faisal developed epilepsy, once again confining him to his home for the next six years. During this time, his former teacher suggested that he connect with the Eyeway Helpdesk. The counsellor assisted Faisal with job searches and information about a computer course at Saksham Education Trust.
With Eyeway's guidance, Faisal enrolled in Delhi University's School of Open Learning for a B.A. in Political Science. The counsellor also helped him to negotiate the admission fee. Faisal was also guided to get a membership to National Association for Blind's Shravan IVR Talking Library for audio study materials. This library enabled visually impaired students to simply dial in and listen to books in the absence of internet or a smartphone or a computer.
Faisal wants to apply and secure for a government job in the railways. Eyeway connected him with Manobal Deepstambh Foundation, an NGO that helps blind aspirants prepare for competitive exams for government jobs. Though he called initially for a job, but now Faisal is focused on education to achieve his career goals.
Team Eyeway