As you read this sentence, your eyes travel through every letter, allowing you to envision the thought behind it.
Pay close attention and you will hear the world speak to you through its many voices.
As you scroll through the paragraphs of this article, feel the tips of your fingers brush against your device.
You are blessed with a world surrounding you with wonderful sensory experiences.
But, what about the ones, like myself, who do not have the privilege of seeing the world?
Our lack of vision is not a shackle, rather an anchor weighing down our progress, as we continue our education using braille techniques, audio-books, and through various other skills we have had to acquire along this difficult path.
However, all is well till we step out of the comfort of our homes, where we can navigate with ease. Most of us have to rely on the public transportation system to travel from one part of the city to the other. The busy streets of Dhaka can be quite a nuisance, as even those with the gift of sight struggle to simply cross the road.
When we do finally reach our destination without getting robbed of our belongings or duped by someone who charges us more than usual, we struggle to find our way in the premises of office spaces, administrative bureaus, or educational institutes.
Entering a wrong classroom in the middle of a lesson and getting embarrassed is a regular occurrence as room numbers are not marked. There are also no clear directions or floor plans dictating where specific functional offices are located.
Thus, we are always at the mercy of passersby, who in most cases do not go out of their way to help people like us. Who has the time in their hectic lives to go an extra mile?
Although Bangladesh's economy is rising, it is not equipped with the basic tools to reinforce its intention of promoting and supporting sustainable development and inclusivity. The country hosts a population of 750,000 blind and millions of visually impaired people. The lack of an accessible and inclusive infrastructure hinders us from reaching our true potential.
For example, Braille books are expensive to produce in mass quantities, not to mention higher education books are not even available in braille embossed prints. Requesting to have those books made into braille, or recorded as an audiobook is an expensive favour to ask for.
However, there are initiatives that do act as a beacon of light in these already dark times.
Organizations such as the Sporsho Foundation, a non-governmental initiative for the visually challenged, work tirelessly to publish braille books in order to make reading more accessible. Sporsho offers free braille books to those who register with the organization, and publishes new books almost every year at the Ekushey Book Fair.
But it is not only NGOs doing something. This year on International Mother Language Day, Akij Ceramics collaborated with CarrotComm Limited to launch braille wall tiles that office and administrative facilities can install to guide the visually challenged people find their way within the premises without any assistance.
Nasrin Jahan, Executive Director of Disabled Child Foundation in Khilgaon, has also been working for children, women, people with disabilities, and marginalized people in the country with the aim to help the disadvantaged.
“These kids do not need sympathy, they are more than capable of taking care of themselves. However, we adults need to ensure an inclusive world where they can go about their day without constant supervision. It is not something extra they are asking for, but a basic right.”
To emphasize, it is truly our basic right, as we were dealt an unlucky hand. I hope that such initiatives will be pushed forward into the limelight and further built upon to create a better world for us.
We may be blind, but we see our dreams clearer than day, and only with proper help can we show them to you.
Torikul Islam Najim is a visually impaired activist and 2nd year student of Shahid Suhrawardy College.
