an online magazine from eyeway.org
an online magazine from eyeway.org
issue 6 
september-october 2005
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sections in this issue: by george | focus | feature | perspectives | profile | headlines
Headlines : India News
other headlines sub-sections: world news | calendar of events
Visually impaired family charts its own path to Independence
Jignesh R Patel, www.newkerala.com; Madhya Pradesh; August 16, 2005
A visually impaired family in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, has proved that blindness is no hindrance to success. Two blind brothers manage their grocery shops successfully while their blind sister is a teacher in a government school.
Where many blind people have shrugged off their life in the dark, Dharam Chand runs his own grocery shop. "I do not face any major problem. I have been doing this for the past 40 years. Earlier, I owned a granary shop but then switched over to a grocery shop. Now, I have also added a small counter of auto parts. Till date, I haven't received any help from the government," said Dharam Chand Jain.
He added, "I make out the difference between Indian currency notes by their sizes."
At a short distance from Dharam Chand's shop is that of his brother, Rajendra Jain. "I am blind since childhood, but I run a grocery shop and feed my family. I do all the purchasing myself, sell the products and run my shop smoothly. Till date I haven't received any help from the government," he says.
While describing the shop, customers said they have never been supplied with wrong orders. "For the past 10-15 years, I had been purchasing things from his shop. I haven't faced any problem so far," said a customer.
Nirmala, Dharam Chand and Rajendra's sister, who is also visually challenged, completed her graduation and B.Ed. She then found employment as a teacher in a government school.
"I became blind when I was 14 or 15 years old but I have never been a burden on my parents. I have been working as a teacher in this school for the past five years. I do not even face any problems in carrying out my household work too. I feel that if I can execute all my responsibilities, other blind people can also do the same," said Nirmala Jain.Other India News stories in this issue:
Blind candidates can sit for bank exam, rules Supreme Court
Car rally for visually impaired navigators
Pak doctors in city to sharpen paediatric ophthalmology skills
ISRO's EDUSAT will deliver live audio for blind students
India, US sign vision research agreement
Daily wage earner develops special cane for visually impaired users
Ophthalmologist creates medical history