Talent knows no boundaries

Real talent shines through despite disabilities. This is the guiding principle of Sightsavers, who recently organised a photography exhibition of pictures clicked by visually impaired photographers at the British Council.

The event took place in the week of International Day of Persons with Disabilities which is held annually on December to focus on issues that affect people with disabilities worldwide. The photos showcased in the exhibition are a part of ‘The Blind View’ campaign – a photography workshop initiated by Sightsavers in association with Beyond Sight Foundation for the visually impaired photography enthusiasts and is being supported by Her Highness Sheikha Arwa Al Qassimi.

The exhibition showcased about 30 photographs depicting different themes which blind participants had taken of other blind or visually impaired participants doing a series of interesting activities. Each picture portrays a unique story in itself representing different aspects of the blind experience.

At the event Padmashri Raghu Rai, renowned photographer and photojournalist, RN Mohanty, CEO, Sightsavers (India), Gill Caldicott Director Operations, British Council India and Partho Bhowmick, Founder, Beyond Sight Foundation were present.

“This initiative is our effort to showcase the glimpses of the life of a blind person - how they perform their daily chores, how do they use assistive technology to their advantage at the office and so on...” said RN Mohanty, CEO Sightsavers (India).

Partho Bhowmick, Founder, Beyond Sight Foundation said, “The photography workshop took place earlier this year and the participants were trained to click perfect pictures under skilled supervision. The workshop had also witnessed participation of a renowned visually impaired photographer Bhavesh Patel, who did a photo-shoot of Bollywood Actor Katrina Kaif.”

Gill Caldicott, Director Operations, British Council India, said, “Sightsavers’s photography exhibition is a great initiative which not only showcases the work and talent of the visually impaired, but also gives a chance to the general public to appreciate the beauty pictured by them in their photographs.”

In addition to the photo exhibition, Sightsavers had arranged for a musical performance showcasing talented visually impaired singers. 

Sightsavers is a development organisation that works to prevent avoidable blindness, restore sight and advocate for social inclusion and equal rights for people with disabilities.