Daily Archives: February 18, 2017

Visionary of a different league

Hyderabad :

She looks closely into the mirror and applies her favourite kajal and tells us how she adores defining her eyes. She glides into the kitchen effortlessly to prepare masala puffed rice and asks us if we like it spicy or bland. All of these activities with a contagious smile on her face. What’s so different about her, you ask? Well, her personality can effortlessly make us realise, how disability is just in our head. Surbhi Mudgal, the free-spirited, independent girl, who lost her vision to brain fever in her middle school, is now a pioneering software developer and a blazing beauty pageant participant. Above all this vivacious girl who lives in Ameerpet is one who despises taking anyone’s help in her activities.

“I know there is someone sitting there, but I can’t figure out if it is guy or girl,” she says in the most unapologetic and unsympathetic tone, leaving us inspired within seconds of the meet.

Now, she is all set to inspire others too as she has been chosen to part of Mumbai photographer Somsubhro Sarkaar’s photo exhibition titled ‘My Identity My Pride where he is featuring 51 inspiring women achievers across the country. She shows off her one-minute video where she says how people with vision often fail to see the real world.

Surbhi was in eighth grade when the ruthless brain fever affected her optical nerves. She gradually lost her sight. “I am an independent girl now. My journey included depression, societal struggle and a lot more but I have battled them enough that they don’t bother me any more. Despite being challenged, I do everything and I am proud of it,” she smiles.

Her fashion quotient is impeccable. Ask her if she enjoys shopping, she jumps from the couch and says, “I love shopping at the malls. It is comfortable and I get assistance as well from the people there. I pick on their brain until they give what I want. I even write appreciation letters to them so that they will help me when I visit again. Sometimes I don’t get good assistance. They will just tell me it’s blue or pink, they don’t tell me it is indigo, turquoise or navy blue. I question them incessantly. If I like something and don’t buy, it haunts me badly. I immediately take an auto or cab and rush to buy it. There were some embarrassing situations when I picked up wrong ones, but after I got back home, my mother was proud of my choice. I prefer going alone for shopping,” she shares.

How does she commute? “I trust the cab or auto drivers. I have a good orientation about the places I frequent, since I didn’t have this challenge from the beginning. ,” she informs in a determined tone.

Doesn’t she have trust issues? Surabhi quips, “If I don’t trust, I should lock up myself within these four walls. I have no other option, but to trust them. In any case, who is safe? Are you safe? No one is. Even you are vulnerable,”Elaborating about her her job, “I am an app tester with a software company in Hyderabad. I test MS products using screen readers where the system reads out about the image. We work to make the apps friendly for people who have challenges. For example, it the screen reader says image, what will the challenged understand? So we navigate in a way that it is comprehensible. Instead of image, it will read out girl in the garden,” she explains.

“I have taken basic training on how to screen read from LV Prasad after being rejected 10 times. It was tough for me to prove my strength as people would ask me “You are blind, what will you work.” But I managed to get a placement from LV Prasad. The nature of job is on par with other jobs, it cannot be written off,” she narrates.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Purnima Sriram Iyer / Express News Service / February 17th, 2017