Help Educate 500 Deafblind Children in India

Hope doesn’t come easy to those whose lives aren’t going according to plan. Vidyasagar’s family was ecstatic to welcome a baby boy into their lives. Dreams, hopes and aspirations for the new-born grew with every passing minute. But, the moment they learnt he was born with a disability – everything evaporated.

Vidyasagar had had low vision in his right eye and absolutely no vision in his left eye. A little after he turned six, the doctors learnt he was hearing impaired, too.  Vidyasagar’s family was distraught. Worried and full of fear for their baby, they confined him to the house. Consequently, they found it difficult to communicate with their baby, too.  

One day, out of the blue, Vidyasagar did something extraordinary. When his sister was tutoring some children at home, he picked up a picture-book, held it close to his nose, his face contorting as he concentrated on whatever little he could see. His sister was amazed. She decided to teach him along with the other children, whichever way she could.

Vidyasagar responded with enthusiasm. The adults in the household began questioning their insecurities. Sense India’s partner organization Ashadeep sent a special educator to help Vidyasagar communicate better. He taught Vidyasagar sign language, to recognise real objects and focus on his residual hearing.

Today, Vidyasagar’s body and mind are no longer confined. He goes to an inclusive school and has learnt alphabets, numbers and calculations in both Hindi and English! He can write and read big print. He enjoys drawing. He even buys groceries for the house and a bus ticket through sign language. But it’s technology that fascinates him the most. Bright displays on the monitor, pressing keys on the keyboard inspire him to one day become a computer operator.

True to his name, Vidyasagar is ready to dive into a sea full of knowledge while remaining independent and fearless.