“Brewing Hope: The Stories of Tea, Grit, and Second Chances” 1. Raghuvirshih Amrutibha Solanki, Detroj In a quiet corner of Detroj village, under the humble shade of a neem tree, sits 42-year-old Raghuvirshih Amrutibha Solanki. Just a month ago, he was a silent figure — a man with locomotor disabilities, watching the world bustle past…
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Himanshi Rathi: First Indian woman to win medal in chess in Asian Para Games Despite completely losing her vision in class 12, Himanshi did not give up hope. A brilliant student, she was a gold medallist in BA and MA, and aspires to join the civil service Aruna Raghuram When you completely lose your vision…
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Jyoti Lalwani keeps her morale high despite low vision Despite undergoing multiple surgeries, two as an infant, Jyoti Lalwani has 40 percent vision. This does not stop the lively bank officer from enjoying her work and life Aruna Raghuram “My morale is very high. People can’t demotivate me easily,” says Jyoti Lalwani, 31, with a…
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What is the nature of True Sight? By Ananya Anandharaman What is the nature of True Sight? This was the question lingering in my head on my way home after interviewing Dr. Krunal Shastri. This brief time spent with him left me with an altered state of mind – a quiet sense that the world…
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Vishnu Vaghela lost vision in infancy; he is now India’s star in blind football Vishnu is the captain of the Gujarat and national teams. Coming from a humble background, he is immensely grateful to Blind People’s Association (BPA), Ahmedabad, for its encouragement and support. A born leader, he is committed to mentor younger players while…
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Unstoppable: A Journey of Talent and Determination By Rucha Purohit and Hetakshi Sachdev Dhruvi Kalpesh bhai Pandya, a young girl age 20 years born on 12 December 2004. Despite being a person with Deaf blindness, she has carved out an inspiring path of success for herself. Her story is one of courage, resilience, and the…
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Jaidev: A Vision Beyond Sight By Ananya Anandharaman At the Blind People’s Association (BPA) in Vastrapur, Ahmedabad, Jaidev is the heart and soul of the “Vision in the Dark” museum. Here, he guides visitors through a unique journey that helps them explore life without sight. Jaidev’s story is one about a warm, humourous, and deeply…
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Self-belief helped blind Darpan Inani script a chess success story Darpan lost his vision completely when he was just three years old. Undeterred, with the unstinting support of his parents, he completed his CA and won two gold medals for the country at the Para Asian games in 2023 Aruna Raghuram The philosophy that…
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How Deepika Rathod became a change agent in the Railways Struck by complete loss of vision in her teens, Deepika did not lose hope. She worked as a physiotherapist for nine years and joined the Railways in 2023. Her indomitable spirit enabled her to bring changes in the system and make it more inclusive …
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Confidence enables Tarak Luhar to overcome lack of vision and lead a fruitful life A bright student and determined advocate for the visually impaired, Tarak is also a wizard at organising activities to showcase the talents of the blind Aruna Raghuram When you speak to Tarakeshwar Khemaram Luhar, 65, you are immediately aware of the…
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Eye problems did not deter Sanjay Sharma from becoming a doctor Having trained as an anaesthetist, Dr Sharma, who has now completely lost his vision, teaches physiotherapy at Blind People’s Association, Ahmedabad Aruna Raghuram Determination has been the core of Dr Sanjay Sharma’s life. Afflicted with an eye problem at the young age of 10…
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How wheelchair-bound Maya Bhammar became a professional powerlifter He was the first physically challenged food delivery person to be employed by Zomato in Ahmedabad in 2021 Aruna Raghuram This is a story of incredible grit, determination and hard work. Maya Bhammar, 25, was six years old when he was afflicted with polio. He developed fever…
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Being deafblind has not stopped Raj Anil Solanki from becoming a Skilled Massage Therapist The 32-year-old resident of Ahmedabad works with children who have special needs Aruna Raghuram There is an innocence and gentleness about him. That’s probably what endears Raj Anil Solanki to the children he administers medical massage to. These are children with…
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Spunk is Shrutilata Singh’s second name Shruti is the first deafblind person in India to graduate and work in the field of physiotherapy Aruna Raghuram Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller Consider this: 95 per cent of what we learn is through our eyes and…
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How Sharmishtha Patel creates beauty from adversity Sharmishtha Patel, a paraplegic, keeps herself engaged and makes a living doing hand embroidery and stitching work Aruna Raghuram “Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet… And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at.…
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Gutsy Nirma juggles studies with playing blind football for India The 26-year-old from a small village in Gujarat has not let her lack of vision deter her either in education or sports Aruna Raghuram Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows. – Helen Keller It’s the confident lilt in her…
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