NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE !

Nothing is Impossible!

by

B.Venkatesh Babu

(Secretary, Welfare Foundation of the Blind)

Senior Medical Transcriptionist

Healthsoft India Private Limited

I am not boasting but I say in right earnest - Nothing is Impossible for the visually challenged, provided he or she has the grit and determination to go on. Till my 12th years of age I was having sight and was attending normal school, but afflicted with Retinitis Pigmentosa, I started losing my eyesight gradually. I couldn’t read and write and the realization that I had to live my life as a visually challenged with residual vision hit me with full force.

I began to shape my life accordingly. I learnt English Braille and mobility. With determination and hope I finished my BBA and M.A in Business Administration through Correspondence Course.

Now, for the past eight years I have been working as a Medical Transcriptionist in Healthsoft India Privaet Limited. After undergoing training in the field of Medical Transcription in National Institute for the Visually Challenged, on appointment I was also given intense training in our esteemed Concern for six months.

Now, I hold the prestigious post of Senior Medical Transcriptionist in our office. I should thank our M.D Thiru K.C.Anand and my colleagues for their support and positive approach to the visually challenged. Apart from me there are eight more visually challenged working in our office. As we work under a friendly and encouraging atmosphere we are able to work on par with our sighted counterparts and even better!

We will have to listen to the Doctor’s case-sheets which would come to us in voiceoral text format and transcribe them in written form, using the computer. To transcribe a one hour dictation it would take seven or eight hours for the medical transcriptionist and as he or she gains experience in the work they can work more efficiently, transcribing more in briefer span of time.

Awareness should be created among the general public regarding the plights and potentials of the visually challenged. More so, in the case of persons with low vision or who become visually challenged midway in life. They should be made aware aware of the fact that there is no need to feel ashamed of the onset of blindness in them and that it is not going to help them if they refuse to accept the fact and continue to hide it from the world and from their own selves.
True, the loss is great and very painful but it is not the end of Life. Realizing the importance of learning Braille and Mobility and equipping them with those skills they can get along with their lives with renewed hope and interest.

And, with grit and determination, with a friendly nature and amicable disposition and the willingness to learn we can go a long way in making our presence and potentials felt! We should see to it that we work hard and deliver goods to the satisfaction of everybody concerned. By working efficiently we can enable many more visually challenged to find suitable employment opportunities and placements. This is my sincere hope.

I am sure we wiill be able to achieve a lot independently. Let us achieve!