Very similar to my own experience. I went around Chennai visiting several landmarks, especially the Marina beach when I had a feeling my vision wouldn't last long. And I too was going to be out of work as being an architect, it was nearly impossible to continue with my profession. Sandeep
On 11/3/16, avinash shahi <[email protected]> wrote: > https://www.theguardian.com/small-business-network/2016/nov/02/going-blind-20s-steph-cutler-making-lemonade > As Steph Cutler’s sight started to deteriorate, she went on the > London Eye for a last look at the view. Photograph: Jonathan Brady/PA > Supported by > Hiscox > What would you do if you were told you were going to lose your > eyesight in three months? It happened to Steph Cutler, who was a > successful fashion designer working for brands such Ted Baker and > Marks & Spencer when, in her late 20s, she was told she would lose > most of her vision within three months. > > As Cutler’s sight started to deteriorate as a result of the rare > condition Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy, a friend took her on > the London Eye for a last look at the cityscape. Cutler also threw an > “I’m going blind” party as a way of “getting it out there” and telling > all her friends at once. She then travelled for three months, visiting > the US, South America and New Zealand, to see the world while she > still could. > > > The lowest point was on her return, when her sight loss got worse and > she found herself without a job – fashion design relies so much on the > visual it was no longer viable - living back with her parents and > struggling even to get a job interview, let alone a new job. > > Blasting out U2’s Beautiful Day each morning to get herself out of > bed, Cutler set two goals: “In the short term, to become employable > again and in the longer term, to get my independence back. Working to > achieve those goals has been the hardest thing I have ever done.” > > > > Steph Cutler launched disability consultancy, Making Lemonade. > Steph Cutler launched disability consultancy, Making Lemonade. > > The first step was to learn to use computers, phones and read printed > information with assistive technology. Then, using her own experience > of feeling unemployable as a result of acquiring a disability, Cutler > spotted a gap in the market. There was a need, she felt, for > disability and equality training on raising awareness of making > recruitment and services open to disabled people. > > Few people were doing this at the time, but it was still a difficult > business model to build. Although organisations knew they should be > doing more, they often didn’t prioritise it or want to pay for it, > Cutler said. > > And so, with the help of a government business startup scheme and > funding, Making Lemonade was born. The name came from a mantra Cutler > adopted while adapting to living with sight loss: “If life deals you > lemons … get out there and make lemonade.” > > “The main challenges when I started out were that nobody knew me and I > also had a steep learning curve to get up to speed about other > disabilities, history and equality law. I did a lot of networking, > going along to events and talking and listening to people to find out > what they actually needed. This could feel like a thankless task, as > there was rarely any instant business, but meeting face to face could > result in proposals even three years later,” says Cutler. > > She is now a trustee for charity Action for Blind People, a fellow of > the Clore Social Leadership programme, represents disabled people on > various national committees and has been recognised in high profile > business awards including national finalist in Enterprising Young Brit > 2006 and Disabled Entrepreneur of the Year in 2008. > > > Customer feedback led Cutler to train in new areas and add new strands > to Making Lemonade, including motivational speaking, coaching and > self-employment workshops. “People kept asking me to speak about my > story at events but I turned them down as I didn’t ‘do’ public > speaking. Eventually I realised there was no basis, apart from fear, > for this. So I joined the Professional Speaking Association and worked > at improving my skills, then started accepting invitations to speak. > For once, being blind was an advantage – it’s a lot easier to stand up > and speak to an audience when you can’t see them,” she says. > > > > Advertisement > > > > Having an interesting personal story to tell can provide a big > advantage for small businesses, Cutler says. “Many SMEs are about the > person behind them and if you’re comfortable telling your story, it > can help you to stand out from the crowd and inspire others too. This > can be great for all sorts of marketing including social media, your > website, blogposts and pieces in the media.” > > > Now in her eleventh year of trading, Cutler is proud of what she has > achieved. “I’ve worked with some amazing clients in the public, > private and charity sector and have made a difference along the way,” > she says. > > Plans for developing her business include providing more coaching for > “non-disabled” people and expanding her use of the “design thinking” > approach in her consultancy work. This is a creative and hands-on > approach to solving problems and developing strategies, adopted by > companies such as Apple, Google and Samsung, based on the way that > designers work. > > Now Cutler has marked 10 years since losing her sight, by writing an > ebook of memoirs and thoughts, Living with More Vision and Less Sight. > She says the biggest lesson she has learned along the way is that > whatever life deals you, it’s your choice how to view those > circumstances. She recounts a family game over Sunday lunch which > involved created six-word memoirs. Hers is: “Everything changed, all > for the better.” > > > > -- > Avinash Shahi > Doctoral student at Centre for Law and Governance JNU > > > Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of > mobile phones / Tabs on: > http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in > > > Search for old postings at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > > To unsubscribe send a message to > [email protected] > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please > visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in > > > Disclaimer: > 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the > person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; > > 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails > sent through this mailing list.. > Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of mobile phones / Tabs on: http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list..
