When a person loses eyesight because of acid attack, due to chemical burns or when set on fire, life comes crashing down as daily task such as crossing road, operating phone, becomes tough tasks. Survivors of acid attacks, burns attacks and members of NGOs who work for welfare of the survivors said that those who lose eyesight have to face these challenges besides emotional abuse from caretakers and financial burden.
“They are once again put into a childlike, helpless state where they are constantly dependent on someone for even the most basic tasks like lifting a glass of water. Apart from that, what about the cases where their own loved ones are the attackers? Who can they trust after that, especially when lose eyesight by such a vicious attack?” questioned Tania Singh, CEO of Make Love Not Scars — an initiative to end acid and gender based violence.
She said that our streets are not safe for the visually impaired due to how overcrowding and due to rash driving, and, as a result, they are forced to live lonely lives indoors, dependent on family members who often taunt them for being a burden to their already stretched incomes. Many families suffer large financial struggles to help a visually challenged family member maintain basic daily life functions.
Underprivileged
“Most survivors come from economically underprivileged backgrounds and are illiterate. They were feeding themselves through blue collar work or skilled jobs such as stitching, cleaning, etc. After losing vision, they cannot work in the fields they previously worked in and being illiterate, it is hard to teach them skills that can be used by visually challenged professionals in white collar workplaces. Most never find jobs again,” Tania Singh said.
Reshma Banu Qureshi, who lost sight in one eye after an acid attack in the year 2014, said that society stops supporting the survivors and people do not allow them to move ahead.
“When we apply for jobs, we are rejected stating our faces are disfigured and that a lot of people work in their company. While it is others who should change their outlook,” Reshma said, adding that her eye was sealed after a doctor has cut her eye lids during treatment after the attack. She said some of the survivors lost sight in two eyes after the attack.
Frustrating
Neehaari Mandali, founder of Burns Survivors Mission Saviour Trust, said that when someone loses eyesight because of acid attack or burns attacks, they become frustrated when not able to perform everyday task like crossing road or operating a phone.
“Families face financial and societal issues. They hyper react to problems related to survivors. And survivors think that their family is not supportive. In such situation, when they go out, if they face any problems anywhere such as at billing section, it will directly effect their confidence,” Neehari said.
