Visually impaired Shahid Dar, helps others like him live a better life
Abrar A. Mattoo
SRINAGAR, May 18: Shahid Dar, a visually impaired person turned social media influencer cum virtual educator, helps many visually challenged people around the world live better lives.
Dar, a resident of Baramulla, is in his early twenties and has received numerous trainings to qualify for teaching the visually impaired personnel the tricks and techniques to navigate the labyrinth of life.
Away from the screen and camera, Dar is a teacher too. He teaches the visually impaired personnel the use of the computer, assistive devices, methods of mobility etcetera, at the institute for disabled personnel, run by Jammu and Kashmir Handicaps Association, Nowpora, Srinagar.
“People see our blindness as a weakness, but personally, I don’t see it as such. Of course, eyes would have made everything easier, but it doesn’t mean that we cannot do anything in the world,” Dar puts in, in the demeanor of a passionate educator. “An unsighted person’s sight is his education. That’s why I try to educate the visually impaired people.”
Before turning into a social media influencer and educator, Shahid was pretty much into music, and often –using only his mobile phone – recorded and edited his own music videos. This knowledge came in handy when he began to create video tutorials to educate the visually impaired/challenged personnel online. In these tutorials, he teaches the visually impaired how to actually use mobile phones, computers, ATM machines, and how to walk, travel, study, and do much more to make their lives easy.
“I also help the visually impaired people by answering their technological and other questions through tutorials and other services like Android apps,” Dar told Kashmir Despatch.
Surprisingly, Dar uploads music and inspirational videos on his social network sites as well, especially on YouTube where he runs his channel by the name M.S. Dar Kashmir.
“Since I am myself a visually impaired person, I can say for sure that people with visual impediment feel largely lonely in their lives. Because when you are surrounded with normal people, the state of your mind is bound to deteriorate,” he lamented.
“People don’t understand our emotions, they often stop us from doing what we want to do, because they look at us as if we are some creatures to be pitied. But I pity those, who pity us. People need to be educated about our life and how we pull it through? That’s why it was also my intention to educate people about our lifestyle and livelihood through social media.”
Dar is a firm believer in human freedom. He believes that every human being can do what he/she wants to do in their own way, which also stands true for the visually impaired. He believes that once the life and livelihood of the visually impaired is fairly promoted, the society; the government, and the whole system can be made accessible for the visually impaired — accessible in the sense that visually impaired people would be able to travel, have proper white-collar jobs, and do each and every activity that a sighted person is capable of doing.
“When I see the gradual change in visually impaired personnel and in the perceptions of those who come to know about us and our way of life, I feel proud; I feel triumphant.”
