In a major achievement, a visually challenged employee of Blind People's Association (BPA) has been selected as a fellow by the prestigious Ford Foundation of USA. What makes her achievement remarkable is the fact that she is the only blind person from western India to be selected as a Ford Foundation Fellow, and also the only blind person from the state to have successfully cleared GRE and TOEFL exams.
Officials said that Kinnari Desai, who has been working with BPA as chief project coordinator for last few years, has been selected by the Ford Foundation for pursuing a masters degree in Disability & Human Development from Syracuse University in New York.
"Kinnari will be leaving for US in early July, and return after completing her studies in two years," a BPA official said. Born into a banker's family in Dahod, Kinnari, who is now 38, has grown up in Ahmedabad. She completed her graduation from Navgujarat College and then did a course in computer programme.
Things were looking up for Kinnari, but an unfortunate incident altered the course of her life. Kinnari was affected by instant glaucoma in 1996 and lost her eyesight suddenly and painfully. "I lost vision in the left eye completely, and could see only little bit from the right eye," she said. Kinnari joined Blind People's Association in January 2000, and soon found that this new world was also interesting and challenging.
"Losing eyesight was a big shock for me, but BPA and my family helped me cope with it," she says.
At BPA, her intelligence and analytical skills led to her elevation as chief coordinator of a statewide project for rehabilitation. She also took up other assignments like providing leadership to Blind Women's Association and becoming a key member of an audit team for ensuring accessibility and a barrier-free environment for disabled people.
Kinnari's dynamism and intelligence have come of good use in the projects she handles. She knows names and details of all 139 talukas (projects), and can rattle off statistics and achievements without blinking an eyelid. She has presented papers in international conferences and lent her expertise to international organisations like Handicap International. She has also served on state government committees.
Today, Kinnari stands at crossroads again, the only difference being that every road leads to greater success and achievement.
