Twenty-six-year-old Maria Rangwala was born in Sanawad, Madhya Pradesh. She has a degenerative eye condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) that leads to gradual sight loss. Studying in a nearby mainstream school, she didn’t encounter any issues initially. But as her eyesight deteriorated, she had trouble reading the blackboard. She could still read her books and other printed material by holding it closer to her eyes. Thankfully, a cousin who was in the same class helped her with the notes she missed out on reading from a distance.
Although she managed to complete her 12th standard, Maria couldn’t continue her studies further because her eye condition worsened. She was unaware of any technology that could be of assistance to someone with vision impairment. Her uncle, who also has RP, suggested she seek guidance from the Eyeway Helpdesk.
When Maria connected with the counsellor in Mumbai, she was demotivated and disheartened with the inability to continue studying. Also, belonging to the Dawoodi Bohra community, she wanted to complete the two-and-a-half-year mandatory Islamic education in Burhanpur.
The Eyeway counsellor reassured Maria that she could live independently with the right training. Realising that she would be required to travel and live alone for her spiritual learning, the counsellor encouraged her to learn basic mobility. She was given instructions on the phone regarding mobility by the counsellor and asked to seek help from her uncle, who could physically guide her. Maria successfully completed her the course away from home.
Once back, she was married off to a person with low vision. She moved to Indore to live in a joint family, which posed new challenges. She found herself surrounded by several sighted people, who expected the new daughter-in-law to cater to the family and cook for them. But she lacked those skills of daily living. This left her depressed and once again she reached out to Eyeway.
Being a married woman with blindness, the counsellor empathised with Maria’s challenges and started teaching her a few simple recipes and tips to handle stuff in the kitchen. During these interactions, the counsellor also motivated Maria to resume her education and aspire to achieve financial independence.
With renewed determination, Maria decided to upskill herself. She completed a basic computer course from the Xavier's Resource Centre for the Visually Challenged (XRCVC). She then enrolled in an Accessibility Testing course to further expand her skill set. She was also guided to apply for a distance learning program from Vivekananda Global University in Rajasthan to complete her graduation.
From feeling hopeless and uncertain, Maria has now transformed into a confident individual, who is taking every necessary step towards employability and self-reliance.
Team Eyeway