Eyeway Conversations

In 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 organisations. As a trainer he has facilitated trainings for civil society organisations, government, UN agencies  and corporates on diversity and inclusion.

Tune in to hear about his interesting experiences and how he navigates each day with humor and zeal for life.

To access the podcast transcript, click on link: https://otter.ai/u/DpjEoidZdg7yURA8rrohrBBWvZY

This podcast is brought to you by Score Foundation.

In 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 growing love for Indian music, she could not afford the training back then but today is known for her accurate and melodious singing.

Besides singing, Adina loves cooking various Indian dishes that she learnt while touring India for work. She has also mastered Reiki and uses the healing technique to help others.

On the work front, Adina is certified as an end of life care therapist and has worked with children in a hospital in Romania. 

You can subscribe to her YouTube channel here.

Tune in to hear more about Adina's experiences in this podcast!

To access the podcast transcript, click on link: https://otter.ai/u/LcN2PsVVfsDgFJEo5akEbSb_z4U

This podcast is brought to you by Score Foundation.

In 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 Bangalore, New York, Douala, Kampala, and Washington. 

John holds an MBA from George Washington University, a BS in accounting from North Carolina State University, and a Certified Professional in Accessible Core Competencies (CPACC) credential from International Association of Accessibility Professionals. 

John is the Cofounder & CEO of Ablr, where he focuses on helping organizations be more inclusive by removing the barriers that have hindered people with disabilities from accessing education, retail, entertainment, and employment. 

John is all set to launch his book ‘Don’t Ask the Blind Guy for Directions’, an  inspirational journey against his inevitable blindness as he searched for acceptance.

Tune in to learn more about his inspiring journey!

To access the podcast transcript, click on link:https://otter.ai/u/myHDxe_iIHRpUN0saY5UvoqWWzM

This podcast is brought to you by Score Foundation.

To support our work, kindly visit the link: https://scorefoundation.org.in/get-involved/

In 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 various websites and apps and this prompted him to take a certified course in Web Accessibility, placing him in a better position to negotiate for web accessibility laws with big companies such as Zomato, Swiggy, PayTm , OYO , etcetera.

Amar is also known for his extensive work on policy advocacy for persons with disabilities. He is actively involved in speaking and training engagements to build awareness and sensitivity towards disability.  

Tune in to learn more about his contribution and achievements in the space of Accessibility!

To access the podcast transcript, click on link:https://otter.ai/u/bz5HqzVnX-4otM8246jUP8xM1Ms

This podcast is brought to you by Score Foundation.

To support our work, kindly visit the link: https://scorefoundation.org.in/get-involved/

In 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 highlights from Aarush’s school life has been his participation in the one week space camp at Huntsville, Alabama on a 100% scholarship offered by SIVIS, where he networked with bright minds and learnt about technology used in space. Besides procuring several certificates through his MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) learning journey, Aarush has developed learning software to help other visually impaired students study advanced stem subjects using computers.

Aarush is also known for his contribution to Vedantu, an Indian online tutoring platform, where he worked as an intern to guide their tech and pedagogy professionals on making study material more inclusive for visually impaired learners.

His hard work and ‘never give up’ attitude has landed him a seat in the University of Alberta, Canada, for a graduate program where he will study to become a software engineer.

You can follow Aarush on his YouTube channel ‘Inclusion The Motto’!

Tune in to be inspired by his life!

To access the podcast transcript, click on link:  https://otter.ai/u/5NMfpPlp9B4h6plEmxTHmSPvkDk

This podcast is brought to you by Score Foundation.

To support our work, kindly visit the link: https://scorefoundation.org.in/get-involved/

In 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 braille and later acquainted herself with technology that enabled her to become an avid reader and helped her write her examinations independently without needing a scribe.

Besides being academically bright, Hannah is a trained singer, composing her own songs. She also travels and speaks to audiences from across the world, sharing her inspiring story, and motivating people to live their best life.

As a result of her sheer determination, Hannah has become the only Keralite to win a full scholarship to the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, United States.

Tune in to learn more about her remarkable journey!

To access the podcast transcript, click on link:  https://otter.ai/u/rGUOLrbn-KonebnjSKALHx3cfwE

This podcast is brought to you by Score Foundation.

To support our work, kindly visit the link: https://scorefoundation.org.in/get-involved/

In 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 Exchange for Students, and has undertaken various courses from foreign universities. With a keen interest in rural development, public health, climate change, and a passion to serve the community, she is currently preparing for the UPSC exam.

Mahenoor shares her journey of hardships in learning Mathematics in school and college and how she decided to appear for the civil service exam.

Tune in to listen to her story!

To access the podcast transcript, click on link:  https://otter.ai/u/O9EiZk6qK6xGJ2BB2K2MGvc9lU0

This podcast is brought to you by Score Foundation.

To support our work, kindly visit the link: https://scorefoundation.org.in/get-involved/

In 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 Palace.

With the confidence and experience gained through this, Dr. Reshmi launched the Jeevaniyam Hospital and Research Centre, with a vision to inspire, rehabilitate and empower children with disabilities like autism, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, and mental retardation through Ayurveda treatment, counseling, and vocational training.

Tune in to listen to this inspiring conversation.

To access the podcast transcript, click on link:  https://otter.ai/u/hN_LT0P0QEeuQBQr1WDOKbEdF3k

This podcast is brought to you by Score Foundation.

To support our work, kindly visit the link: https://scorefoundation.org.in/get-involved/

In 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 Absa Cape Epic on a tandem, Cape to Rio Yacht race, ran the Antarctica Marathon, climbed the ten highest mountains in the Western Cape, and set the World Blind Land Speed Record 2009 at 322.52 km/h and more.

Beyond his daring trysts across the land, air, river, and sea, he has traveled the world and spoken to varied audiences on topics of leadership, management, and facing obstacles.

Tune in to listen about his adventures!

To access the podcast transcript, click on link:  https://otter.ai/u/PAoIjGvRnXRVxmIIw84N7gLcHb0

This podcast is brought to you by Score Foundation.

To support our work, kindly visit the link: https://scorefoundation.org.in/get-involved/

In 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 from all walks of life to create systematic and social change.

Tune in to hear her story of perseverance!

To access the podcast transcript, click on link:  https://otter.ai/u/lVDchN47ev0T_zsRBX3Ic18gdq8

This podcast is brought to you by Score Foundation.

To support our work, kindly visit the link: https://scorefoundation.org.in/get-involved/