23-year-old Ashwini Shejul hails from a small village in Buldhana district of Maharashtra. She lost her eyesight as a child and started her education from a special school for the blind. Here she mastered the Braille script but learnt no mobility skills. So she remained dependent on people around her for various day to day activities. She moved to a mainstream institution for higher education. Here she was fortunate to find support from her teachers. As for her peers and the surrounding community, Ashwini had a tough time gaining acceptance from them.

She started exploring employment options after her graduation, but lacked clarity on possibilities and how to gain fluency in English speaking and writing. Especially because she had studied in Marathi medium throughout. When she called Eyeway, the counselor redirected her to an organisation which would help her with proficiency in not just English but the use of computers via screen reading software. This would make her job-ready. Eyeway also suggested a mobility training program to easily navigate through spaces. 

Like a lot of visually impaired people, Ashwini tried to clear competitive exams for securing an average government job. But during the course of interactions, our counselor discovered her passion for teaching. Eyeway then guided her about the appropriate course, institution and immediate opportunities of employment once she cleared the state-level Teacher Eligibility Test (TET). 

Empowered with this new information, Ashwini expressed her eagerness to pursue the necessary training for gainful employment. She immediately acquired a laptop to practice her lessons and confidently pursue her dreams. 

There are thousands like Ashwini who are waiting for an opportunity and proper guidance to achieve personal independence. 
    

Team Eyeway