Heard about a Daniel Kish, a blindman who goes trekking, climbs trees and rides bicycles unaided. He had taken a radio interviewer on the trekking expedition deep into the jungle. The interviewer became worried as it was becoming late in the evening and she feared being lost in the dark. Then she remembered that her guide was blind. It does not matter to him; it was always night for him!
Daniel had his eyes enucleated for retinoblastoma at a young age. Growing up with an abusive father, the mother decided that her son should be left to fend for himself. He should not be restrained or mollycoddled as the world is indeed a cruel place, no place for weaklings.
As a young boy, a blind boy, he used to climb trees, fences and do all the things that his able bodied sibling used to do. Quite many a time, this wandering boy was escorted home by community policemen. He went to regular school and hated being treated as a second class student. He grew up independent after he self taught the science of echolocation which gave him spatial orientation to move around. In fact, he never knew what he was doing was complicated science!
After seeing a homeless blind man who had lost his eyes and job after a chemical explosion in a factory, he decided to start an NGO to help to train the blind to be independent.
His endeavour was met with much resistance - it is a known fact that the blind cannot be leading the blind!
Neurologists scurried to ascertain why some visually handicapped individuals are so independent whilst others are truly handicapped. The consensus is that in some other areas sensory perception of the brain develop connexions to the visual area of the brain making the blind 'perceive'. Other undetermined stresses and demands in life could just push these synapses. In other words, there must be a push for the blind to want to see!
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