Thirty-year-old Sanju Sharma lives in Siliguri, West Bengal. Despite losing his eyesight at the age of five, he worked hard to complete his graduation and attain a professional qualification. He has a three-year diploma in Physiotherapy and pain management from the reputed Blind People’s Association in Ahmedabad.

Unfortunately, skills, credentials or the determination to work hard weren’t enough to get him a job. He faced rejection by potential employers merely on grounds of his disability. Refusing to give up, Sanju decided to start his own clinic and use the opportunity to employ other visually impaired people as well. He faced another round of denial in response to his loan application at several banks, including the Micro Credit Scheme offered by the National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation.

Amidst the pandemic, job options shrunk further and Sanju’s family struggled for survival. Eyeway has facilitated some donations through a volunteer but that’s hardly a long-term solution.

Like Sanju, people from Karnataka, Maharashtra, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and other parts of India have called the Eyeway Helpdesk seeking employment opportunities, especially after the lockdown.

Home to nearly 63 million persons with vision impairment, India makes for one of the highest global blind population. But does the country have enough solutions in place for these people to achieve economic self-reliance?

As a response to the lack of viable options, Eyeway intends to launch a self-employment programme for persons with blindness. You can help us spread the word, connect with resources, donate or even volunteer to champion our cause.

If you would like to support us in any way, please write to george.abraham0@gmail.com or eyeway.org@gmail.com. You can also send a WhatsApp to 9810934040.
 
Warm regards,
Team Eyeway