India in the dark (Swiss Stories 2015, by Vito Robbiani) - Swiss Press Award

RSI La1

Vito Robbiani

Gurveer Singh is employed at the Cooperative Bank in Ludhiana. Ludhiana is a city of nearly 5 million inhabitants in the state of Punjab. An industrial hub just under 350 kilometers north of New Delhi, one of the main occupations is wool and cotton processing. In the chaos of the city, four eyes would be enough, but some people navigate in total darkness. This safety is also provided by the mobility courses provided by the VRTC center, a partner of Rehaswiss and the Swiss Federation of the Blind. At the VRTC (Vocational Rehabilitation Training Center), visually impaired and blind people from across the region study here, learning to navigate Indian society. Among the former blind students is Gurveer Singh. After school, where he learned primarily to read Braille and use new computerized reading and writing systems for the blind, he pursued a career in sports, playing running and cricket. Today, he works at the Cooperative Bank and is married with two children. He considers himself a happy man, and thanks Rehaswiss for giving him the opportunity to develop his skills and carve out a space for himself in Indian society.