Shows
Eyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Ummehaani BagasrawalaIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Ummehaani Bagasrawala, a corporate executive at Deutsche Bank and the founder of Pearls of Vision. Ummehaani shares her journey navigating the structured world of banking, her early career in marketing and sales, and the personal challenges she faced as a visually impaired student seeking accessible education.She talks about facing exclusion in the workplace, the lack of systemic support for students with disabilities, and how these experiences motivated her to start Pearls of Vision, a volunteer-led initiative that connects blind students with scribes, readers, and career guidance.2025-06-1625 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Sameer LateyIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Sameer Latey, a finance professional with over 25 years of corporate experience, currently working at Reliance Industries.Despite losing his vision completely in 2000, Sameer pursued Chartered Accountancy, navigated articleship without digital accessibility, and steadily built a successful career in finance and accounting. From Tally and SAP to mergers, acquisitions, and taxation, his professional footprint spans major organizations across Mumbai.Beyond work, Sameer is actively involved with Snehankit Helpline, mentoring others, developing screen reader-compatible Tally training, and supporting blind students with accessible study materials. In this conversation...2025-06-1126 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Nyonyok TalomIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Nyonyok, a multi-talented blind student from Arunachal Pradesh, currently pursuing English Honours at St. Edmund's College, Shillong.From growing up in a remote corner of Northeast India with limited awareness about disability, to becoming an international blind football player, rapper, music producer, and voice artist—Nyonyok’s story is full of quiet determination and creativity.In this episode, he shares:His early years in inclusive and residential schools across Assam and MeghalayaRepresenting India in blind football, and his childhood experiments with...2025-05-2725 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Sagar PatilIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Sagar Patil, a visually impaired entrepreneur from Mumbai and founder of Ideal Innovative Group (IIG).After being denied admission to study electronics due to his blindness, Sagar pursued his passion independently—repairing radios, reading technical manuals, and learning through practice. What began as self-study evolved into a structured business model. Today, he designs and manufactures solar-powered torches, sensor-based lighting, and accessible tools such as talking multimeters—devices now used by other blind professionals.Sagar also runs a training program where visually impaired individuals learn electronics and...2025-05-2125 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with O AishwaryaIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with O. Aishwarya, a PhD scholar at IIIT Bangalore, working at the intersection of assistive technology, social sciences, and inclusive education.Aishwarya’s research focuses on developing tactile art opportunities for children who are blind, with a goal to establish an independent grammar of tactile expression—distinct from visual interpretations. Through her work, she questions visual-centric notions of art and explores how texture, space, and sequencing redefine creative engagement for blind learners.She also opens up about:Studying in mainstream schools in Kerala and Karn...2025-05-1224 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Dr. Divya BijurIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Dr. Divya Bijur, a Mumbai-based physiotherapist and trained singer. Divya, who is visually impaired, has built a successful independent practice while pursuing her passion for music,travel and languages.She shares her journey of navigating physiotherapy education at a time when mainstream inclusion for visually impaired students was rare in India. Drawing from her international exposure in the UK and Australia, Divya adopted adaptive techniques and practical solutions to deliver high-quality patient care.🔹 Pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Physiotherapy through mainstream education 🔹 Establishing her own clin...2025-04-2825 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Dr. Sanjay JainIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Dr. Sanjay Jain, Professor at the National Law School of India University, Bangalore.Blind since childhood, Dr. Jain opens up about his journey from studying music to becoming a leading academic in law. He reflects on the role of inclusive education, strong mentorship, and self-advocacy in overcoming systemic barriers—both in academia and public life.From braille textbooks in school to inaccessible law classroomsContributing to accessibility reforms under the guidance of Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, as part of a Supreme Court Co...2025-04-2125 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Veena Mehta VermaIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Veena Mehta Verma, an accomplished HR professional and the Director of the National Association for the Blind Center at Dwarka, New Delhi. She is transforming opportunities in both corporate and social sectors.Despite facing challenges with retinitis pigmentosa since birth, Veena pursued higher education, including an MBA in Human Resources, fighting institutional barriers along the way. After an 18-year career as an HR Manager at NTPC, she has taken a sabbatical to serve as Director of the National Association for the Blind Center at Dwarka, New Delhi.2025-03-1726 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Dr. B.S.M. KumarIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Dr. B.S.M. Kumar, a visually impaired professional working at Continual Engine, a company developing AI-driven accessibility solutions for education and digital content.Dr. Kumar was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa in his teenage years, leading to progressive vision loss. Despite accessibility challenges, he pursued MSc in Chemistry and M.Tech in Chemical Analysis and Control from IIT Delhi, followed by a PhD in Analytical Chemistry focusing on Air Pollution. In the GATE examination, he scored 98 percentile in Chemistry, securing an All India Rank of 10....2025-03-1026 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Salman Ali QaziIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Salman Ali Qazi, Head of the Special Education Department at Christchurch College, Lucknow, who is breaking barriers for visually impaired students.Despite facing challenges with retinitis pigmentosa since childhood, Salman completed his education including law school, before finding his true calling in special education. After discovering screen reading software and learning Braille during his B.Ed. at Dr. Shakuntala Mishra University, where he topped his batch and received a gold medal, he went on to transform inclusive education practices.Today, at Christchurch College, Salman has...2025-02-2426 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Dr. T.K. BansalYouTube and Spotify Description:In this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Dr. T.K. Bansal, an innovator, mentor and educator whose life journey is as inspiring as his contributions to accessibility.A physics topper, Dr. Bansal pursued MTech, and PhD degrees from IIT Delhi, and a postdoctoral research at Oxford. While he also built a successful career in coaching institutes, his true passion lay in technology and education for the visually impaired.From introducing the Marshmallow Cane in India to mentoring blind students who aspire to study engineering, Dr. Bansal...2025-02-1726 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations: Chandriya Alam Talks About Her Father Sadhan Gupta with George AbrahamIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham reminisces about Sadhan Gupta in conversation with his daughter, Chandriya Alam.
Blind from the age of 15 months, Sadhan Gupta defied all odds. He rose to become a prominent Member of Parliament, Advocate General of West Bengal, and a dedicated trade union leader. This episode explores his remarkable journey, showcasing his resilience, his passion for social justice, and his unwavering commitment to workers' rights and disability rights.
Discover how Sadhan Gupta, despite his visual impairment, lived a full and impactful life. Learn about his multifaceted career, his contributions...2025-01-2724 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Sudhanshu Khurana and Simran Chawla
In this vibrant episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham meets two inspiring content creators redefining fun and creativity in the digital space! Sudhanshu Khurana and Simran Chawla, both visually impaired, bring their infectious energy and creative spark to video blogging, turning everyday cafe visits into engaging adventures.
Despite his macular degeneration, Sudhanshu masterfully handles filming and editing on mobile devices, showcasing how technology can be a tool for empowerment. Simran, a former RJ and Princess India winner with a captivating narrative style, complements their journey with her engaging storytelling. Together, they prove that visual impairment is no barrier to...2025-01-2124 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Prakash PujariIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham talks with Prakash Pujari, whose life took an unexpected turn when he lost his vision at age 33 due to a cricket accident. A former specialist at a multinational shipping company, Prakash shares his inspiring journey from initial depression to becoming fully independent and finding new purpose.
Prakash opens up about the challenging period following his vision loss, including multiple eye surgeries and the initial struggle to accept his new reality. He discusses how the National Association for the Blind (NAB) played a crucial role in his rehabilitation, teaching him...2025-01-1325 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Rajanish HenryIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham engages in an inspiring dialogue with Rajanish Henry, the newly elected Secretary General of the World Blind Cricket Council. A native of Calicut, Kerala, Rajanish shares his journey from growing up in a state where football reigned supreme to becoming a key figure in blind cricket on a global stage.
Born with vision but losing it later in life, Rajanish recounts how his early fascination with cricket began with the 1985 Benson & Hedges series. His determination to pursue his passion led him to discover blind cricket in 1991 and eventually represent...2024-12-2325 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with K SriramIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham engages in an inspiring conversation with K Sriram from Chennai, a visionary leader with a remarkable journey spanning corporate management, academia, entrepreneurship, and environmental advocacy. From his early days at Infosys to his groundbreaking work in assistive technology and ecological restoration, Sriram exemplifies resilience and innovation.
Born with retinitis pigmentosa, Sriram shares how he navigated a world without screen readers during his academic journey at Loyola College and IIM Bangalore. He later thrived in the professional environment at Infosys. He recounts how the organization introduced him...2024-12-1624 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Ranu MainiIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, we bring you the extraordinary story of Ranu Maini, a visually impaired resident of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, who has carved her path as a radio jockey, YouTuber, and teacher. Ranu shares her inspiring journey of overcoming challenges in education, navigating a lack of resources, and finding her voice through creativity and resilience.
From her early education in sighted schools to her accomplishments at Delhi University and her passion for teaching, Ranu’s story is a testament to the power of perseverance. She talks about her experience with Radio Ud...2024-11-1923 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Dr. Muhamad ZubairIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Dr. Muhamad Zubair, Associate Professor of Political Science at Janaki Devi Memorial College, New Delhi. Dr. Zubair shares his inspiring journey from aspiring civil servant to becoming a dedicated teacher, reflecting on how his visual impairment shaped his life and career. He discusses his time at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), which played a pivotal role in fostering his academic success, as well as his deep-rooted interest in International Relations.
Throughout the episode, Dr. Zubair provides insights into his work advocating for disability inclusion within...2024-10-0727 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Abrar Ahmed BhatIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, we delve into the inspiring journey of Abrar Ahmed Bhat from Kashmir, a visually impaired individual who has overcome immense challenges to transform his life and the lives of others around him.
Born blind with retinal detachment, Abrar faced a difficult childhood marked by financial instability, limited access to educational resources, and a lack of awareness regarding his condition. Despite these obstacles, he found the strength to change his perspective on life with the help of friends and mentors. Abrar shares his turning point when he joined the National Institute for...2024-09-2326 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Ankur DhammaIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham from Score Foundation sits down with Ankur Dhamma, an accomplished para-athlete and coach, to discuss his inspiring journey in athletics. Ankur, who has participated in multiple international events, including the Paralympics, shares how he first got interested in athletics during his school days at J.P.M. Senior Secondary School for the Blind in Delhi. Influenced by his family and senior athletes like Ravindra Singh Nagar, Ankur began his journey in sports at a young age, helping his seniors and eventually stepping onto the track himself.
...2024-08-1926 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations at Spark Carnival 2024Welcome to the Eyeway Conversations at Spark Carnival 2024. Today, we will witness a compelling panel conversation hosted by George Abraham. The panel featured four inspirational speakers, each with unique stories highlighting their attitudes, aspirations, and actions in overcoming challenges.
The conversation began with Bhupendra Tripathi, Assistant General Manager at the Reserve Bank of India. Mr. Tripathi shared his powerful story of battling terminal cancer and paralysis. Despite being given only six weeks to live, he fought the disease with incredible mental stamina and a positive attitude, eventually becoming cancer-free after 12-13 months.
2024-07-221h 28Eyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Sarah Moin's ParentsThis episode of Eyeway Conversations features Moin Ahmad Idrisi, Julie Hamid, and their daughter Sarah Moin, a beacon of resilience overcoming her deafness, blindness, and severe speech impairment to score a remarkable 95% in her 10th exam on the ICSE board. Like Helen Keller's, Sarah's brilliance keeps surprising those who know her. The podcast explores Sarah's inspiring journey, narrated by her parents who played a pivotal role in her success.
Moin and Julie delve into the challenges Sarah has faced since infancy, including vision loss and hearing loss. They detail how they tirelessly sought treatment and explored various...2024-05-1326 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Satish NavaleIn this episode of our podcast Eyeway Conversations, we will learn about the enduring power of human connection and the unwavering spirit of service through Satish Navale's remarkable journey. Satish is a project assistant at Shivaji University who is also blind. At his university, he is entrusted with the job of managing the Resource Centre In Inclusive Education.
Through this episode, you will learn about Satish who worked with his team to build inclusive education modules for students from 5th to 10th standard. You will meet Satish who loves creating radio programs and how that sheer passion...2024-04-2126 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Chetna and Ankur GuptaIn this episode of our podcast Eyeway Conversations, we will seek inspiration from the journey of Golden Shine Trust which is shattering barriers in the world of music education. Founded by Chetna and Ankur Gupta, the passionate co-founders who themselves faced hurdles in finding quality and affordable music teachers, Golden Shine Trust provides free, high-quality music training to individuals with disabilities. Join host George Abraham as he interviews Chetna and Ankur Gupta, the inspiring co-founders.
Established in 2018, Golden Shine Trust offers free music training in various genres, including Hindustani vocals, Western classical instruments (piano...2024-04-1524 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations Tribute to Ameen SayaniEyeway Conversations Tribute to Ameen Sayani: Ameen Sayani, considered the Doyen of Indian radio or the golden voice of Indian broadcasting, has passed away. George Abraham had the privilege of recording with Ameen Sayani in 2006 at his studio in Mumbai. These recordings comprised 7 profiles for Eyeway's "Ye Hai Roshani Ka Karwan" radio programs, which were produced between 2005 and 2014.
As a tribute to Ameen Sahab, we propose to share each of these stories one by one over the course of 7 weeks. The first story is about Sabriye Tenberken, a German Tibetologist and co-founder of the organization Braille Without...2024-02-2604 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Harshit LohiaIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham catches up with Harshit Lohia, who works at the Reserve Bank of India. Harshit's life took a dramatic turn after completing his 12th standard when he fell ill and took medication that triggered Stevens-Johnson syndrome, resulting in the loss of his eyesight. He spent the next year and a half at home, coping with this life-altering condition.
Harshit's determination and resilience shone through as he embarked on his educational journey once more. Opting for distance education, he pursued a BA while simultaneously preparing for banking exams. However, his path...2023-09-1823 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Masoom RezaIn this captivating episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham engages in an inspiring dialogue with Masoom Reza, a remarkable individual hailing from Bihar's West Champaran. His early life was marked by adversity when, in the third grade, he was diagnosed with Stevens- Johnson syndrome, a condition causing skin deterioration due to a medicine reaction. Tragically, by the age of 8, he had lost his sight entirely. Born into a farming family, young Masoom's world was forever changed.
Facing the challenge of blindness at such a tender age was undeniably disheartening, with few role models to look up to...2023-09-1223 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Shireen IraniIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham engages in a captivating conversation with Dr. Shireen Irani, a multi-talented individual with a Ph.D. degree in the interdisciplinary field of language and music. She began her career as a pianist at renowned Mumbai hotels, including ITC, Taj, Marriot, and Trident Oberoi. Simultaneously, she was part of local bands and made significant contributions as a choir trainer and English teacher at the Happy Home School for the blind.Dr. Irani's academic journey extended to teaching linguistics at the University of Mumbai and the Ali Yawar Jung National Institute of Speech...2023-09-0426 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Vasundhara RaturiIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Vasundhara Raturi, a gifted singer who has overcome challenges and soared to great heights in the music industry despite being visually impaired since childhood. Vasundhara's musical journey started early when her parents discovered her exceptional talent at a young age. By the age of 4, she began learning the basics of music, and at just 10 years old, she fearlessly participated in the singing reality show, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa.
Recently, Vasundhara collaborated with the Indian Idol 12 winner, Pawandeep Rajan, on two beautiful songs—"Redharam Zara Tu Jaag Za...2023-07-2426 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Danish MahajanIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham engages in a thought-provoking discussion with Danish Mahajan, the visionary founder of Radio Udaan—a unique initiative that empowers blind individuals through the power of internet radio.
Danish's journey began with personal hardships, including the loss of his father and challenging economic circumstances. During his struggles, Danish realized the lack of awareness surrounding life with blindness, which resulted in wasted years. Motivated to make a difference, he along with his friends embarked on a groundbreaking venture, starting an internet radio station. Their goal was to create a platform where th...2023-07-1725 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Arjun GhoshIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham interviews Arjun Ghosh, a law student who comes from a rural background in West Bengal and was born with visual impairment due to medical oversight. Arjun was motivated to pursue a career in law to help ensure that justice is served for those who are often overlooked.
He shares his journey towards getting selected at the National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS), a prestigious law school in India, through the IDIA Scholar Program that supports underprivileged students and students with disabilities to pursue a legal career in India. Despite...2023-05-1525 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Shakila MaharajIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Shakila Maharaj, a social entrepreneur, innovator, recognised global disability trainer and strategist from Durban, South Africa.
After losing her vision in early twenties due to a childhood injury, Shakila’s life was uprooted. Her family shifted to Ireland to ensure she had access to quality education and life.
Over the years, Shakila’s remarkable and diverse accomplishments have contributed towards creating an inclusive society. She pioneered audio description for 12 years across South Africa and established AudioDescribe (Pty) Ltd in 2010 and in 2020 the sister company, ShazaCin Acce...2022-11-1428 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Peter DonovanIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Peter Donovan, a visually impaired financial planner and a cricketer from Queensland, Australia.
Peter, who was born with Albinism, struggled with vision issues since childhood. After completing his education, he chose a financial institution to work as a financial planner. But the highlight of his career was his cricket journey, where he got to represent Australian National Blind Cricket team from 1987. Peter became the first captain of his team. He was part of the Australian cricket team that participated in the first Blind World Cup, held in N...2022-11-0727 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Pramit BhargavaIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Pramit Bhargava, founder of Visioapps, a Gurugram-based startup, which developed the Louie Voice Control app, a 'virtual friend' to help visually impaired navigate digital apps.
Pramit graduated from India’s prestigious engineering and management institutions (IIT and IIM) and worked for global companies such as Unilever, Motorola, and Quest Diagnostics before losing his vision to the side-effects of medicine, impacting his Retina.
Vision loss took Pramit on a journey of finding a higher purpose, enabling him to use his software engineering background to create accessible app...2022-10-3130 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Sathish KumarIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Sathish Kumar, a passionate digital accessibility engineer, accessibility coach, mentor, A11y blogger, editor, speaker and trainer.
Born blind, Sathish was enrolled in a blind school at the age four. His love affair for computers began at the age of seven when his school introduced him to computers with screen readers. He remembers it as a magical device.
An MPhil in English Literature, Sathish chose digital accessibility as his profession and through his career has achieved various milestones. He has given consultations, written VPATs, trained...2022-10-1722 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Dr Sharad PhilipIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Dr Sharad Philip, a practicing Psychiatrist and a Clinical Assistant professor in a prestigious public medical school in India.
Sharad and his two younger brothers were diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa and lost his vision at a young age, leading to challenges through his growing up years. Despite a discouraging eco system during his college years, Sharad was determined to study Science and not let his lack of sight become a barrier in achieving his dream of being in a medical profession.
Sharad had to go...2022-10-1029 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Praveen Kumar GIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Praveen Kumar G, a development professional with over two decades of expertise in project management, monitoring and evaluation, organisation development, diversity, equity and inclusion.
Born with Retinitis Pigmentosa, Praveen has not let his blindness become an impediment in achieving his goals. His passion for travelling, experiencing diverse cultures, meeting people and visiting historical places has taken him across 22 states and 150 cities and towns for work and pleasure in India.
Praveen is also a mentor and coach for young people, persons with disabilities and civil society o...2022-09-2627 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Adina GalaniIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Adriana Galani, fondly known as Adina Galani. Adina was born with vision impairment in the main city of Bucharest in Romania and currently lives in Austria with her husband who is an Indian.
Adina’s love affair with India began at the age of seven when her mother took her to watch a famous Hindi film,’Yaadon ki Baraat’ in a theatre in Romania. With her first stint at learning the title song of the film, Adina had found her lifelong passion for Hindi songs. Despite her growin...2022-09-1925 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with John SamuelIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with John Samuel, a person of Indian origin born and raised in North Carolina in the United States. He is an award winning entrepreneur and a writer.
John first learnt of Retinitis Pigmentosa when he was in college. The news of degenerative eye disease was devastating to him, which would take him more than fifteen years to accept and be open about.
Over the years, John navigated through ups and downs of life. His determination to excel at his career took him around the globe, including B...2022-09-1226 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Amar JainIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Amar Jain, a visually impaired corporate lawyer and a Co- Founder of Mission Accessibility Campaign.
Amar who hails from Jodhpur, Rajasthan was enrolled into a Hindi medium Blind School at an early age. Despite coming from a conservative society, Amar’s parents were supportive and encouraged him to carve a path for himself that was unconventional.
He chose law as a profession to fight for the rights of blind and visually impaired community. Through his legal journey, he became aware of the accessibility challenges with vari...2022-08-2226 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Aarush BhatIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with a young, visually impaired tech geek, Aarush Bhat who believes in the power of technology for an inclusive world.
Blessed with supportive parents, Aarush could pursue his interest in technology from a young age. His first stint with coding started in class five when he was able to make his own website. Ever since, there has been no looking back. He has independently written his examinations using computers, proving that blind students could achieve everything with the right tools and inclusive environment.
One of the h...2022-08-0828 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Hannah Alice SimonIn the latest episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with a multi-talented nineteen-year-old Hannah Alice Simon from Kochi, Kerala. Her name began to make the rounds after she topped the CBSE Class 12 exam 2022 with 496 marks in the specially-abled category.
Hannah’s journey from a blind girl to the topper of the CBSE came with a lot of challenges. But what remained constant in her life was the support of her parents who believed in her abilities and encouraged her to take life heads on.
She studied in the mainstream school, learnt to write in br...2022-08-0123 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Mahenoor AliIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Mahenoor Ali who is a Postgraduate in Mathematics from IIT Delhi and an aspiring civil servant.
Though Mahenoor was born blind, it did not stop her from pursuing her passion for Mathematics. She was supported and encouraged by her father who assisted her throughout her schooling years. She graduated from Miranda House and did her master's in Mathematics at the prestigious IIT Delhi.
As a young achiever, Mahenoor is a topper in class, has received various awards, represented India at the Japan-East Asia Network of E...2022-07-2526 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Dr. Reshmi PramodIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Dr. Reshmi Pramod, an Ayurveda Doctor. She is the Founder and Managing Director of Jeevaniyam Ayurveda Hospital & Research Center, Kochi, Kerala.
In 2004, Dr. Reshmi lost her eyesight. However, she did not allow this impairment to hamper her dream and career. Born in a family of doctors and Ayurveda practitioners, she grew up dreaming of becoming a doctor and serving the community. With the help of her family's support and learning new skills, she revived her profession in 2006 with the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation(KTDC) at the Bolgatty Pa...2022-07-1825 min
Eyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Hein WagnerIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Hein Wagner, a Global Adventurer and a Motivational Speaker.
Hein who was born blind, discovered his passion for adventure as a teenager when he took his first hike and fell in love with nature.
He went on to start his career as a switchboard operator and soon entered the IT industry and worked his way up the career path. In 2014, he quit to pursue his passion for action. Hein lives a life of high adventure, competing in endurance events around the world. He has completed the A...2022-07-1128 min
Eyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Melody GoodspeedIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Melody Goodspeed, Major Gifts Specialist at American Foundation for the Blind (AFB). An adventurous and fun-loving person, Melody is also a wife and a doting mother to two children.
After losing her vision at a young age of twenty-six, Melody hit rock bottom until she decided to fight and persevere through the disability. She went through rehabilitation, learned computer software, assisted living skills and made a re-entry into the world.
Ever since, Melody has been advocating for persons with blindness and actively engages with people...2022-06-2029 min
Eyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Sristi KCIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks to a young and vibrant social entrepreneur Sristi KC from Nepal. She is also a motivational speaker, dancer and a trainer.
Sristi lost her eyesight at the age of sixteen due to the negligence of the doctor who was treating her for an eye infection. Despite a setback at a young age, she went on to top her university, receiving an award from the president of her country. Her love for dance helped her get a scholarship in Europe for her master’s degree in Dance Anthropology where he...2022-06-1325 min
Eyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Siobhan MeadeIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Siobhan Meade, a digital marketing professional, journalist and a disability activist from the United Kingdom.
After losing her vision at the age of sixteen to Glaucoma, Siobhan found it challenging to go about her life until she heard a blind man share about his achievements over a radio programme. With the new found confidence and support from her family, friends and teachers, Siobhan has come a long way in making a mark in the disability domain.
In her early years, she particularly chose radio and m...2022-06-0626 min
Eyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations With Sabriye TenberkenIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with, Sabriye Tenberken, German Tibetologist and co-founder of the organisation Braille Without Borders.
Sabriye became totally blind by the age of twelve due to Retinitis Pigmentosa, a degenerative eye condition. Despite a set back at an early age, she learnt to deal with her blindness. An adventurer at heart, she wanted to travel the world.
After completing High school from an Institute for the Blind in Germany, Sabriye enrolled at the University of Bonn and focused her studies on central Asia. She was the only blind s...2022-05-2325 min
Eyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Guneet SethiIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Guneet Sethi who acquired blindness much later in life. But she never gave up on life. In a career of 30 years, Guneet has worked different jobs like teacher, communications specialist, creative writer and trainer. A motivational speaker, she is known for her recipe of a perfect cup of coffee! Do listen in to this delightful account of perseverance.
To access the podcast transcript, click on link:
https://otter.ai/u/YWet_56sos-dw4qiRL9NQtgvtOs
This podcast is brought to you by Score Foundation.2022-05-1623 min
Eyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Jim StovallOur guest in this episode of Eyeway Conversations is Jim Stovall, a celebrated author, humanitarian, national champion Olympic weightlifter, entrepreneur and a highly sought after platform speaker.
In conversation with George Abraham, Jim shares his inspiring journey. Born in Oklahoma, United States, Jim grew up to be a professional football player until he was diagnosed with macular degeneration, an eye disease that most often attacks the elderly, at the young age of seventeen. By the age of twenty-nine, he had turned completely blind. What may have seemed like an end to one’s dream, Ji...2022-05-0921 min
Eyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Tiffany BrarIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Tiffany Brar, founder of Jyothirgamaya Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala that trains blind people of all ages in Braille, mobility, basic computer use, and life skills.
Tiffany, who became blind as an infant due to oxygen toxicity, completed her primary education in England where she found an inclusive setup, doing things like other sighted children with a special resource person dedicated to her. But when her father was posted back to India, Tiffany found school difficult as she experienced segregation and isolation from students...2022-05-0225 min
Eyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Geetha & SaleeshIn this episode of Eyeway conversations, we get to hear about Geetha’s journey in her husband Saleesh’s words (as Geetha only communicates in Malayalam). Geetha, our guest, an inspirational entrepreneur from Thrissur, Kerala shares her experiences with the host, George Abraham.
Geetha was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa at the age of 13, a rare genetic disorder that causes gradual vision loss. By the age of 15 she had turned totally blind. Despite the challenges, she focused on becoming independent by learning braille and completed her graduation.
After her marriage to Saleesh, Geetha was keen to cont...2022-04-1821 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with David AbsalomIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with David Absalom, Honorary General Secretary of Indian Blind Sports Association (IBSA) and the Asia Continental Chairperson of International Blind Sports Federation.
IBSA was founded in 1986 and has since emerged as the premier national blind sports body in the country with over 247 affiliates in 27 States. It is the sole Indian Affiliate of the International Blind Sports Federation, the apex sports organization for blind sports in the world. It is also affiliated to the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI).
David, who is passionate about providing opportunities to y...2022-04-1127 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Ram Kamal ManojIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Ram Kamal Manoj; a social engineer, journalist and a brand consultant who runs a not for profit organization, Chakshumathi based in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
Ram believes that assistive technology is the solution to all the present day challenges of blind and visually impaired people and this belief led to an Empowerment and Assistive Technology Centre for Blind in Kochi, Kerala in 2011. A member of the DAISY forum of India, Chakshumathi provided the daisy and angel players to young blind children to ensure independence at an early age.
2022-03-2825 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Dr Sam TaraporevalaIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Dr. Sam Taraporevala, a retired Associate Professor & Head Department of Sociology and Anthropology of the autonomous St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai.
Born blind, his parents chose to educate him in a mainstream school and college, after which he pursued his PHD.
Between 2002 and 2003, while teaching at St Xavier's College, Dr Sam set out to explore the reason behind the declining numbers of blind and visually impaired students in his college, that resulted in the inception of the famous Xavier's Resource Centre for the Visually Cha...2022-03-2126 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Kiran KajaIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Kiran Kaja, who works as an Accessibility Program Lead with Instagram in Menlo Park, California, United States.
Born in India with a rare degenerative eye disease, Kiran sought out his passion for accessibility and working to make software and hardware useful and accessible for people with disabilities. He has over 16 years of experience in working with the leading tech companies across the globe that includes Google, where he worked as an Accessibility Program Lead for Search, Assistant and Devices in London, United Kingdom.
Kiran credits t...2022-03-1428 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Nagraj MoreIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Nagraj More, Chief Manager, Training and Development at Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL).
Nagraj was born blind and growing up had often heard people blaming his karma for his blindness. But his mother ensured that he grew up to be an independent man shunning all the negative comments people made about her blind son.
After completing Masters in Human Resource, Nagraj joined BPCL, where he received immense support from his team and colleagues to carry out his duties. Now a full time coach, Nagraj has...2022-02-2125 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Pranjal PatilIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Pranjal Patil, the first visually impaired woman IAS officer in India.
Pranjal lost her eyesight at an early age of six due to Retinal Detachment. Following which she was shifted to a special residential School for Blind girls in Mumbai, Maharashtra, the decision she is grateful for and that changed the course of her life.
Pranjal’s interest in civil service examinations was a result of her keenness towards social issues and the enthusiasm to tackle them. In her first stint as an IAS officer, she...2022-02-1427 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Preetham SunkavalliIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Preetham Gandhi Sunkavalli, who works with a leading automobile company in Mumbai, as part of their Business Transformation team.
Preetham experienced vision loss at an early age due to Retinitis Pigmentosa. But he was fortunate to pursue a good education from mainstream institutions. His initial dream was to become a physicist but given the limited awareness and opportunities, he chose Economics and Management instead. An MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, Preetham learnt a great deal from his peers, faculty and the supportive system at the premier institute.
...2022-02-0728 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Deepthi BopaiahIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Deepthi Bopaiah, CEO of GoSports Foundation, a non-profit venture working towards developing some of India's top talent in Olympic and Paralympic disciplines.
Growing up in Coorg, Deepthi was involved in sports, playing Tennis and Basketball for Karnataka University and the state. Although she started her career in banking, she switched to sports administration, after learning about the vision and mission of GoSports. Deepthi and her team use sports excellence as a vehicle for social change, and a tool to improve the lives of individuals as well as c...2022-01-2429 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Ruchi PatilIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Ruchi Patil, mother of a visually impaired boy. Arijit Patil is a Class XII student in Mumbai who experienced vision problems from an early age. A premature baby born in the sixth month of Ruchi's pregnancy, his retina didn't quite develop as expected. After the initial reaction of shock and panic, his parents got into problem solving mode, visiting top eye hospitals. And finally they realised the need to salvage what they had instead of focusing on what wasn't.
Ruchi bombarded Arijit's world with sounds and music a...2022-01-1728 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversation with Apoorv KulkarniIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Apoorv Kulkarni who is a qualified Chartered Accountant and an MBA from Stanford University. After his initial stint with KPMG India, Apoorv traveled to the US to try something new. While pursuing his MBA, he was exposed to a world where technology and innovation opened up a whole new world of opportunities which lessened the day to day barriers a great deal.
Having lost his vision to an eye condition called Macular Dystrophy, Apoorv realised how much more was possible. He now works as the Head of A...2022-01-1020 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Moses ChowdariIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Moses Chowdari who is a person with low vision, working with Enable India in Bangalore. Moses was born to a farmer family in a village in Andhra Pradesh and his vision impairment was detected when he was three months old. Growing up, his family wasn't sure what life had in store for him, assuming that blind people generally end up singers or musicians. But his hard work took him to a college in Hyderabad, where Moses relied on his friends to help him study. Frustrated with such dependence, he t...2021-12-2729 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Dr Meghna VarmaIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks to Dr. Meghna Varma who was a practicing ophthalmologist. Midway through her professional career and life, Dr. Meghna suffered sight loss due to Retinitis Pigmentosa. She was lucky to have encountered George and Eyeway at a point in life where she was grappling with how to overcome her new challenges. She took things in her stride and managed to transform her life in a way very few can. She worked hard to reinvent herself and today she is a qualified mental health specialist.
Listen to the podcast to k...2021-12-2029 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Neil MillikenIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham and Shilpi kapoor speak with Neil Milliken, an English Accessibility and Digital Inclusion Advocate. He is one of the founding members of AXSChat, a leading online community that promotes accessibility and inclusion across social media. He is a W3C expert and contributor and Member of the Board of Directors for the World Institute on Disability. He is currently the Head of Accessibility and Digital Inclusion for Atos.
Neil who has been working in the field of Assistive technology since 2001 also has dyslexia and ADHD. He believes that accessibility i...2021-12-1329 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Penny Melville-BrownIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Penny Melville-Brown, a British Royal Navy veteran, blind baker and winner of the Holman Prize. Penny served for 22 years in the Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS) and Royal Navy, reaching the rank of commander. She was the first woman to hold the position of naval barrister. She was medically discharged from the Royal Navy in 1999 after her eyesight deteriorated and she created Disability Dynamics to help other people with disabilities to start a business. In 2009, she was awarded an OBE for her service to the disabled. In 2017, she was...2021-11-2931 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Payal KapoorIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Payal Kapoor from Hyderabad, India. Payal was working with the famous Oberoi group when she suffered from Meningitis at the age of 22. As a result she lost her eyesight, her hearing and her sense of smell and touch. She struggled for six years until she decided to turn things around for herself.
After rehabilitating herself and working with an NGO for a while, Payal went back to her first love, the hospitality industry. This time as a person with blindness. In her discovery of new things, talent a...2021-11-2227 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Mahendra GalaniIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Mahendra Galani who lost his eyesight at the age of 12. Mahendra was studying in a regular school at the time and he sat at home for a year and a half until his family learned about ways to educate blind children. He was then sent to Victoria Memorial School for the Blind in Mumbai, after which he pursued his degree in political science and psychology. He got his first job with Life Insurance Corporation of India, thanks to an advocacy campaign for recruitment of the disabled by National Federation...2021-11-1527 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Lainey FeingoldIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham and Shilpi Kapoor speak with Lainey Feingold, an author and a disability rights lawyer from Berkeley, California. After being fired from her legal job of ten years, Lainey started her journey into accessibility for persons with disabilities. She works primarily with the blind community on technology, digital, and information access issues.
She is nationally recognized for negotiating landmark accessibility agreements without lawsuits and for pioneering the collaborative dispute resolution method known as Structured Negotiation. The American Bar Association published Lainey's book, 'Structured Negotiation: A Winning Alternative to Lawsuits' in 2016...2021-11-0123 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Visually Impaired Filmmaker Anand KulkarniIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Anand Kulkarni, the first and only visually impaired filmmaker in Asia. At the age of seven, Anand was diagnosed with Macular Dystrophy which led to a gradual sight loss. But he managed to study with assistive technology and a great deal of support from his family. When Anand applied for a Bachelors in Mass Media, he was rejected by most top colleges in Mumbai.
But life had visual storytelling in store for him, and he began his journey at KC College. He calls his 36 projects in college as...2021-10-2529 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Divyanshu GanatraIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Divyanshu Ganatra, India's first visually impaired solo paraglider. He was 19 years old when Divyanshu lost his eyesight to glaucoma. An adventurer at heart, someone who loved trekking, cycling and exploring the outdoors, he felt trapped by the sudden vision loss. But after the initial hiccups of acceptance and adjustment, he regained his mental and physical strength.
Apart from paragliding, he is India’s first solo blind trekker, mountaineer, scuba diver, marathoner, and the first blind pillion cyclist to ride from Manali to Khardung La, the highest motorable roa...2021-10-1828 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Sadaf KhanIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Sadaf Khan, a Human Resources professional working with a tech company. Sadaf lost her eyesight at the tender age of three but her parents were determined to give her the best education. She studied in reputed mainstream institutions, getting a masters in Industrial Psychology. A choice that is not considered natural or easy for persons with vision impairment.
Apart from blindness, Sadaf was also struck by rheumatoid arthritis when she was 9 , making her school years quite tough to endure. But medications helped improve the condition and she s...2021-10-1125 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Ritika SahniIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Ritika Sahni, a proclaimed Singer-Performer and a Disability Campaigner. Alongside pursuing her interest in music, Ritika was drawn towards Deaf Education. She is a trained special educator, a communication therapist and a consultant in Disability Inclusion.
She has a vast experience of 30 years in teaching, conducting sensitizing workshops, curating content in the form of music, literature, puppet shows, brochures, radio shows and so on. Ritika created a first of its kind disability awareness campaign across four Delhi Public Schools. She is committed to work with able bodied s...2021-09-2731 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Poonam VaidyaIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Poonam Vaidya, a Bangalorean who loves to read, write, travel and explore. Poonam lost her eyesight when she was in college, but unlike most people who take a long time to accept the sudden shift in existence, she was back in a week! Acknowledging her blindness, she focused on the next steps instead.
She trained to use a white cane and computers with screen reading software but her perspective widened after a life-changing experience at the Colorado Center for the Blind. Here she learned to cook, clean, e...2021-09-2027 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Dean du PlessisIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Dean du Plessis, a Zimbabwean cricket commentator. He is the world's first visually impaired cricket commentator to participate in international matches.
Born blind, Dean was sent off to a special school in South Africa where he discovered his love for cricket. He was fascinated by bowl by bowl commentary on the radio. An interview with the legendary Ravi Shastri, where Dean's knowledge of the game as well as his attention to details despite his blindness, were evident. This interview landed him his first on air assignment when...2021-09-1332 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Dr Priti SharmaIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Dr Priti Sharma, an Ayurveda medical practitioner and a trained Yoga therapist. Priti's interests in Ayurveda and Yoga started very early in life, as she was fascinated by the healing benefits of this ancient science. When she suddenly started losing her vision at the age of 30, due to Retinitis Pigmentosa, it came as a rude shock, but even that didn't stop her from practicing medicine. With support from her brother and husband, she slowly learned to accept her new way of life and started turning her energy towards helping...2021-08-3024 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Jonathan MosenIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Jonathan Mosen, a popular broadcaster, advocate and a teacher. With a passion for politics, Jonathan is also the first congenital blind person to stand for parliament in New Zealand in 1993.
Jonathan takes pride in his blindness, almost crediting his disability with a lot of fortune that came his way in around five decades of existence. He started his stint in the radio at an early age of four and since then has worked and set up popular mainstream radio stations. He has been instrumental in bringing about...2021-08-2337 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Dr Homiyar MobedjiIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Dr Homiyar Mobedji who heads Bookshare in Asia and Africa. Bookshare is owned by a US based company, Benetech, which is a nonprofit social enterprise that empowers communities with software for social good. Bookshare is an online library of accessible ebooks for people with print disabilities, such as visual impairment, severe dyslexia, cerebral palsy, and so on.
Born with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a degenerative eye condition, Dr Homiyar went about his life in all ways mainstream. He trained to become a clinical physiotherapist and went on to head t...2021-08-1826 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Simon MahoneyIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Simon Mahoney, a former Royal Marines officer, social work team leader, freelance artist and author. Diagnosed with a condition called Uveitis, Simon lost his eye sight at the age of 64. But in the next ten years, he not only learnt to accept and live a life with blindness but accomplished a great deal.
He has written three books, the fourth one is on its way, he learned to cook and then wrote a book about it! He also re-learned to sail a dinghy using all his other s...2021-08-0926 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversation with Joe Devon and Jennison AsuncionIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham and Shilpi Kapoor speak with the founders of the famous GAAD movement. Joe Devon and Jennison Asuncion teamed up in 2012 to initiate what's well known as the Global Accessibility Awareness Day. It was a blogpost written by Joe Devon that started it all. In it, Joe highlighted the need for accessibility know-how to become mainstream among developers. Jennison spotted the post on Twitter and the duo ended up pioneering a global campaign!
Tune in to listen to their initial brush with accessibility, individual stories and how they reached out...2021-07-2633 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Prof M BalakrishnanIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Professor M Balakrishnan who is a scientist working with IIT Delhi. Founder of ASSISTECH, a laboratory and a research group, Prof Bala is involved in developing a number of assistive devices targeted towards mobility and education of the visually impaired. One such popular device is the famous SmartCane which was developed by his group and is used by more than 80000 people in India and abroad.
Professor Bala shares his experience of working on three pet projects including products like the SmartCane, OnBoard and DotBook. He has been w...2021-07-1922 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Manushree SinghIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Manushree Singh who works as Lead- Diversity and Inclusion in India for Capgemini. A multinational information technology services and consulting company, Capgemini is extremely inclusive in terms of offering persons with disabilities an equal opportunity of employment. In this interaction, Manushree shares the company's inclusive policies, their work culture that promotes and motivates PwDs to grow at the same pace like other employees. She also shares some of the challenges encountered over the years, and how the company and its leadership has devised programs to address the same.
2021-07-1220 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Rahul GuptaIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Rahul Gupta, a wholesale banker working with a leading private bank. Rahul is a transformational leader, with over 15 years of experience across segments, in India and the UK. His extreme low vision didn't come in the way of securing his BA and Master's degree from prestigious schools in the country, St. Stephen's and Delhi School of Economics.
Rahul wants to lead by example, and leave behind a legacy of courage and optimism. He believes one can achieve anything, once determined towards it. Apart from his interest in E...2021-07-0518 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with L SubramaniIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with L. Subramani, a journalist and author of the memoir “Lights Out: The True Story Of A Man’s Descent Into Blindness”. After being diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa at the age of 15, Subramani, two years later lost his vision completely, a difficult phase as he recalls in his memoir.
Subramani is a postgraduate who currently works with The Deccan Herald, a renowned English daily. He considers his disability as a strong identity and not a limitation. Tune in to know how he embraced his new life with a strong...2021-06-2827 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Ketan KothariIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Ketan Kothari who works as Technical Specialist- Disability at Sightsavers India. Ketan has had an impressive career spanning over thirty years. A post-graduate in Political Science, he started off as a part-time lecturer and then joined National Association for the Blind, Mumbai. In his short stint with BarrierBreak, he learnt a great deal about advocacy and was instrumental in two very important campaigns, Banking rights and Copyright law amendments, ensuring access to the larger visually impaired population of the country.
Apart from his work as a disability...2021-06-2123 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversation with Siddharth SharmaIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Siddharth Sharma, Asia's first visually impaired Public Relations professional. Siddharth lost his eye sight in a motorbike accident in his early twenties but he didn't give up on life. Once he rediscovered himself and his interest in communications and public relations, he set up his own boutique firm, Foundations PR in 2002.
He first started off with a job at the PR agency, Connections. Once he gained adequate experience and confidence, he decided to become an entrepreneur. Through the years, Siddharth has managed to create a niche for...2021-06-1422 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Debra RuhIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, hear George Abraham and Shilpi Kapoor speak with Debra Ruh, an entrepreneur and a Global Inclusion Strategist. A valued leader and a best-selling author, Debra is the Founder of Ruh Global IMPACT, Human Potential at Work (HPAW), AXSChat and Billion Strong.
She is North America Consultant for UN ILO Global Business and Disability Network (GBDN) and Global Speaker for the US State Dept. Legislative and Technical Experience. She has expertise with Standards and Legislation including the United Nations Convention of Rights for Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), ADA, W3C, WCAG and I...2021-06-0836 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Madhubala SharmaIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Madhubala Sharma, who works as a Deputy General Manager, Learning and Development with Concentrix, a technology-enabled global business services company.
Madhubala was born with vision impairment but that did not deter her from living an independent life. She went to a mainstream school and college and then went on to achieve great success in her professional career. With over 17 years of work experience, she has spent 15 years in training, learning and development. Besides being a working professional, Madhu loves to spend time with her family, travelling within an...2021-05-1732 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Ajay MinochaIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Ajay Minocha, a Credit Officer with a reputed Deutsche Bank. Born with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a degenerative eye condition, Ajay was rejected by many mainstream schools before being accepted by a Hindi medium school. With sheer grit and determination, Ajay went on to be selected by IIM Indore, where he completed his MBA. He is also one of the four visually impaired persons to have successfully completed the Chartered Financial Analyst exam in India.
Tune in to hear his interesting story and how he beat the odds to e...2021-05-1022 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Sheri Byrne-HaberIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, hear George Abraham and Shilpi Kapoor speak with Sheri Byrne-Haber, a global Accessibility Leader and W3C volunteer, a prominent voice in the field of disability and accessibility programmes.
Sheri believes in integrating accessibility into systems of organizations such that equality is achieved at a holistic level for customers and employees with disability. She has designed and led accessibility programmes for various well-known companies, propagating cross-disability inclusion. Listen to the podcast to learn about digital accessibility, effective strategies that should be undertaken to facilitate inclusion and more. Hear Sheri talk about...2021-04-2634 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Anuj DayalIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Anuj Dayal, Executive Director, Corporate Communications, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.
Anuj Dayal has been associated with the Delhi Metro since its inception and has won many awards and accolades as a leader and corporate communicator. The conversation touches upon the expansion of the metro, accessibility features, services for People with Disabilities (PwDs) and more. Listen to the podcast to learn about facilities a blind, hearing impaired or physically disabled traveller can expect while using the metro. The mother of metro expansion in India, DMRC strives to explore n...2021-04-1914 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversation with Ekinath KhedekarIn this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with UK Chevening scholar Ekinath Khedekar, who is an adventurer at heart. A nature lover and a sports enthusiast involved with lawn tennis for the blind, Ekinath finds happiness in outdoor activities like tandem cycling, half marathons and swimming. Despite making a start several yards behind the starting line, due to his vision impairment, weak economic background and lack of support in many ways, Ekinath is a corporate professional with successful stints at companies like Reliance and Wipro. He made the most of his education at a special school as w...2021-04-1223 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations with Pranav LalShort trailer of our sixth episode of Eyeway Conversations, where George Abraham speaks with Pranavl Lal who is a technology enthusiast, avid photographer and a traveler. All this despite his visio impairment since birth!2021-03-0501 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations Episode 6In this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Pranav Lal, a specialist in cyber security. Pranav lost his eyesight due to Retinopathy of Prematurity, a condition that inflicts infants born prematurely. He started off his education in the Gulf using braille, and gradually moved on to digital mediums. With an academic background in Commerce and Business Administration, he shifted gears to IT when he discovered he could solve problems by writing programs. Pranav taught himself to write code when he was in Class 9. He is also an avid traveler and a photographer, things one doesn't normally associate...2021-03-0226 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations Episode 5In this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Moses Chowdhari who is a person with low vision, working with Enable India in Bangalore. Moses was born to a farmer family in a village in Andhra Pradesh and his visual impairment was detected when he was three months old. Growing up, his family wasn't sure what life had in store for him, assuming that blind people generally end up singers or musicians. But his hard work, took him to a college in Hyderabad, where Moses relied on his friends to help him study. Frustrated with such dependence, he...2021-01-2050 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations Episode 4In this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Guneet Sethi who acquired blindness much later in life. But she never gave up on life. In a career of 30 years, Guneet has worked different jobs like teacher, communications specialist, creative writer and trainer. A motivational speaker, she is known for her recipe of a perfect cup of coffee! Do listen in to this delightful account of perseverance.2020-12-2631 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations Episode 3In this episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks with Payal Jethra who was born with a vision impairment. Payal, a single mother living in Mumbai, works for a nationalised bank where she handles mostly NRI clients as part of her job. Payal also enjoys writing about her experiences of parenting, spirituality and of course life with blindness. Listen to this podcast to know more about her life as a professional, a parent and most importantly, as a social being, always ready to engage with people.2020-12-0737 minEyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations Episode 2- Part 1In this second episode of Eyeway Encounters podcast, George Abraham speaks to Payal Kapoor from Hyderabad, India. Payal was working with the famous Oberoi group when she suffered from Meningitis at the age of 22. As a result she lost her eyesight, her hearing and her sense of smell and touch. She struggled for six years until she decided to turn things around for herself. Today she is a successful blind woman doing multiple gigs. This podcast covers her life story in two parts. In the first part she cites her frustration, challenges and how she overcame them. Second part...2020-11-1026 min
Eyeway ConversationsEyeway Conversations Episode 1In this first episode of Eyeway Conversations, George Abraham speaks to Dr. Meghna Verma who was a practicing ophthalmologist. Midway through her professional career and life, Dr Meghna suffered sight loss due to Retinitis Pigmentosa. She was lucky to have encountered George and Eyeway at a point in her life where she was grappling with how to overcome the new challenges. She took things in her stride and managed to transform her life in a way very few can. She worked hard to reinvent herself and today she is a qualified mental health specialist. Listen to the podcast to...2020-10-2339 min