Twenty-three-old Mohan Bruhanpure is a person with low vision, residing in Solapur, Maharashtra. As daily wagers, Mohan’s parents knew little about life with blindness. As a result, he didn’t go to school until he was seven. During a survey in his district, the family was asked to enroll their son into a special school for the blind. Mohan could only study till Class 9 after which his father died and mother returned to her native village.
Several years later, she came back to Solapur to work in a cigarette factory. Worried about her son who was now 18 and totally blind, she got him to marry a visually impaired girl, hoping they could fend for themselves. But neither Mohan nor his wife had adequate skills or education to support each other.
Looking for solutions, he found out about Eyeway and connected with the Mumbai Helpdesk. He inquired about government provisions, concessions etc. The counselor informed him about the schemes and advised him to complete his education, starting by enrolling in Class X via National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS).
Since he didn’t learn much mobility in the school, the counselor shared a few tips and tricks to navigate independently. Mohan was encouraged to pursue rehabilitation training at NAB Solapur where he would learn mobility, computers, massage therapy and other vocational skills.
As a married man, earning was essential, and so the counselor suggested him to apply for a subsidized loan under state welfare schemes for the disabled. He could start a small business and continue pursuing his studies on the side.
The counselor also shared how Mohan and his wife could use the TalkBack feature in their android phone to identify currency notes, documents, or even search for things online. Mohan has started taking steps in the right direction, in terms of studying, skilling and self-employment. He is preparing for his Class X exams, has joined the NAB programme and has also applied for a loan.
The counselor is in regular touch with him, also working on guiding his wife to reorient herself so they can lead happy and independent lives.