In My Take this week, we have 21 year old Maitreya Shah who is visually impaired. Maitreya, who is pursuing his final year law studies is a well-known disability rights activist from Gujarat.

I was just like any other normal kid, living my life to the fullest. When I was eleven years old, I was playing cricket when the ball hit my eye. I became fully blind and that changed my life. I vividly remember those days when I was depressed and used to lock myself inside the room. My parents were equally affected and this went on for a few years.
 

Renuka Salve (16) and Sonali Wajage (18) were born blind. The lack of eyesight, however, has not stopped the two judokas from reaching the pinnacle of their judo careers until now - representing India at an international tournament.

Salve and Wajage will take part in the Commonwealth Judo Championship at Walsall, Birmingham, UK, from September 25-29.
 

It is the first time female Pune judokas are part of an India squad and Salve and Wajage won their places in the national team after claiming gold medals at the recently held National Blind Judo championship.

Parvesh Sharma
Tribune News Service
Sangrur, September 18

Three visually impaired siblings of Nadampur village are living at the mercy of the area residents for the past two years after the state government stopped their pension. Reason: The trio failed to produce their disability certificates.

After struggling for one and half years, they finally got their certificates ready but are now unable to get Aadhaar cards prepared as machines have failed to take their thumb and finger impressions.

A few weeks ago, Tate Modern found itself at the centre of a storm after wheelchair-user Ciara O’Connor took to social media to protest that there was no ramp to enable her to enter and experience a key cylindrical work in an exhibition by the Danish/Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson.

Travel is never a matter of money but of courage,” Paulo Coelho once said. But for visually impaired, along with courage they need someone to be their eyes.

Delhi-based Amit Jain, founder, Rising Star Tours and Travels, has been working on this line of thought for a while. In fact, his travel agency will take a group of 15 visually impaired people on a holiday to Dubai from September 26-29.

In a significant order that will have far reaching impact, Delhi Disabilities Commissioner T D Dhariyal has ordered that unused vacant industrial plots in the National Capital Region be set aside for allotment to people with disabilities who wish to start their own businesses or production centres or relocate existing ones.