Ceylon Today
Vision impaired Tuan enlightens his kind
By Chanaka de Silva
25th August 2015
"Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light." the poignant poem by Dilan Thomas gives strength to fight on, no matter what the odds. Such is the nature of the young man Tuan Mohammed Rushdi cassim. A person whose unfailing courage has pushed him to achieve thing that many, without any difficulty would envy and do well to emulate.
Rushdi experienced vision problems and colour blindness at an early age. Though undeterred he carried on with the plate, life served him. Doing well academically he only wanted to achieve the goals he had set out. And achieve them he will. During the 3rd year of his degree in Management Information Systems at NIBM, things took a turn for the worst. His failing sight progressed very quickly.
Tuan was diagnosed with Retinitis pigmentosa a visual impairment in 2009. "At first some of the coloured segments of the slides, during lectures could not be seen," he said. But I thought this was normal. By the time I completed my degree, I could barely see. A condition that causes damage to the retina, resulting in sever vision impairment and even blindness. There is no known cure.
Determined not to be put down, Tuan landed a job at a wedding decoration firm. But it was even more disheartening when his handicap forced him to quit only a week after he started his job. "I hung around a bus stop for 40 minutes after I was let go. I was at a loss as to what to do," says Tuan.
Along way since then, Tuan spent two years at home looking for a job. He hasn't stop looking yet. He finally picked himself up and took up Braille, in 2013, to face the challenges ahead of him. "I didn't want to abandon my studies," says Tuan. He had his primary education at Carey College. But after the
Vision impairment set in, he took a course from the Sri Lanka Council for the Blind (SLCB) that enable him to operate the computer without having to look at the screen, through a specially designed software. He also learned to use the white cane at the SLCB.
Tuan's courage paid off and now has an Advance National Diploma in Human Resource Management from NIBM and a Diploma in Psychology from American College of Higher Education both under his belt. When asked about his multidisciplinary portfolio, he said that HR and Psychology are additional qualifications. "Besides I was always good at psychology, even at school"
Apart from his education qualifications, Tuan is an adept chess player. He was placed second at the all-island visually impaired chess tournament. He is a swimmer trained under Julian Bolling and is also a member of the SLCB cricket team.
Tuan is unique not the fact that he picked himself up, but the fact that he is able to help others like him through his web site for entrepreneurs with visual impairment. The web site, Entrepreneurs with Disabilities (www.entrepreneurs-with-disabilities.com), is a multidisciplinary platform in which entrepreneurs of different vocations such as candle making, acupuncture, musicians can advertise their services, at no cost to them. "Customers can contact them directly without a middlemen," explain Tuan. The web site is totally dependent on donations. When asked what he hopes to gain from maintaining the web site, Tuan says "At SLCB I met many visually impaired people who engage in business," he explained that there is no market for products and services by people with disabilities and that he hopes to help them find this niche market through this web site.
"I intend to promote the web site as an Information Base on entrepreneurs with disabilities, their products and increase their exposure."
To help others who are in a similar condition is the ambition Tuan craves for. Tuan is currently in the process of collecting data of entrepreneurs with visual impairments. With the correct type of help he can not only do this but do it well indeed.
When ask about his future plans, Tuan confided that he hopes to develop a screen reading software distance learning course in both Sinhala and English mediums for visually impaired people. "Not many institutes offer computer screen reading courses and it's difficult for visually impaired people to travel for the few places that do offer such courses"
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Handy In Handicapped
The Nation Newspaper
3rd May 2015
by Sajitha Prematunge
He experienced vision problems and color blindness at an early age. But it was probably normal, he figured. But things took a turn for the worst during the 3rd year of his degree in Management Information Systems at NIBM. During the 3rd he experienced extreme vision loss.
Tuan Mohammed Rushdi Cassim, 28, from Enderamulla, Wattala has visual impairment. He has low vision. “At first couldn’t see some of the colored segments of the slides, during lectures,” says Tuan. But I thought this was normal. By the time he completed his degree, he could hardly read. He was diagnose with Retinitis Pigmontosa in 2009, a condition that causes damage to the retina, resulting in sever vision impairment and even blindness. There is no cure.
So, it came as a surprise when Tuan landed a job at a Wedding decoration firm, after a series of interviews. But it was even more disheartening when his handicapped force him to leave only a week after he started his job. “I hung around the bus stop for 40 minutes after I was let go. I was at a loss,” says Tuan.
Tuan has come a long way since then. He spent two years at home looking for a job. He hasn’t stop looking yet. He finally picked himself up and took up Braille, in 2013, to face the challengers in head of him. “I didn’t want to abandon my studies,” says Tuan. He had his primary education at Carey College. But after the vision impairment set in he took a course from the Sri Lanka Council for the Blind (SLCB) that enable him to operate the computer without having to look at the screen, through a specially designed software. He also learned to use the white cane at the SLCB.
Tuan now has an Advance National Diploma in Human Resource Management from NIBM and a Diploma in Psychology from American College of Higher Education under his belt. When ask about his multidisciplinary portfolio, Tuan said that HR and Psychology are additional qualifications. “Besides I was always good at psychology, even at school”
A part from his education qualifications, Tuan is an adept chess player. He was placed 2nd at the all island visually impaired chess tournament. He is a swimmer, trained under Julian Bolling and also a member of the SLCB cricket team.
But what makes Tuan unique is not the fact that he picked himself up, but the fact he is able to help others like him through his web site for entrepreneurs with visual impairment. The web site Entrepreneurs with Disabilities (www.entrepreneurs-with-disabilities.com), is a multidisciplinary platform in which entrepreneurs of different vocations such as candle making, acupuncture, musicians etc can advertise their services, at no cost. “Customers can contact them directly without a middlemen,” explain Tuan. The web site is totally dependent on donations.
When asked what he hope to gain from maintaining the web site, Tuan says “At SLCB I met many visually impaired people who were engage in business,” he explained that there is no market for products and services by people with disabilities and that he hopes to help them find this niche market through this web site. “I intend to promote the web site as an Information Base on entrepreneurs with disabilities, their products and increase their exposure.”
Tuan is currently in the process of collecting data of entrepreneurs with visual impairments.
When ask about his future plans, Tuan confided that he hopes to develop a screen reading software distance learning course in both Sinhala and English mediums for visually impaired people. “Not many institutes offer computer screen reading courses and it’s difficult for visually impaired people to travel for the few places that do offer such courses”
Tuan fondly remembers the support of his parents and uncle T.F.Cassim in all his endeavors.
Making Life Count
Daily Mirror
14th October 2014
by Kamanthi Wickramasinghe
Stories of people achieving unusual successes despite many challengers never fall to capture our attention. They asre inspirational to be sure, but they are much more than that if we study them closely. Goals are what drive them to be such exemplary characters and the story that follows is one of an extraordinary individual who is on his journey to success.
Tuan Mohammed Rushdi Cassim, 27, is a charming young lad from Enderamulla, Wattala. Having had his primary education at Carey College, he was among the many other students who had a vision to succeed in life. Yet, like for every other human being, life was not easy for him. Suffering from faint vision and night blindness ever since he was small, Rushdi had difficulties in doing his day-to-day work specially in dim light. When he consulted several local ophthalmologists none of them could identify his condition.
Without giving, he left to India where he was able to find what has come up to be his biggest challenge. According to doctors, Rushdi was suffering from Retinitis Pigmentosa, which is an identified eye disease in which there is damage to the Retina and would often cause severe vision impairment and often blindness. Although he was thoroughly disheartened by this message, he was not willing to step down from his journey. In the preceding years, he graduated from the National Institute of Business Management with a BSc. In Management Information Systems, along with an Advanced Diploma in Human Resource Management and Diploma in Psychology from the American College of Higher Education (ACHE), Dehiwala. He was a member of the Sri Lankan Council for the Blind(SLCB) where he learned Braille, how to use the white cane and also came across many visually impaired individuals who were engaged in business. When looking at them he was motivated in giving them a hand and in turn he came up with an idea to develop an online marketing store.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror about his idea, Rushdi said “ I Want to give a hand to all visually impaired individuals in the Island. People are more oriented to work online nowadays. This is an online marketing store in which all visually impaired persons will be able to market their product and find a living. I started it this month and with the help of my friend I am in the process of finding the contact details of all visually impaired persons who are doing business. Their details will be up on the web site and anybody willing to donate or buy their products is more than welcome to visit the web site and make their contribution”.
In addition to tech skills, Rushdi is also a talented sportsman. He was a participant at the All Island Visually Impaired Chess Tournament, where he was placed 2nd and received his certificate from Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal. He also a swimmer being trained under Julin Bolling and a member of the cricket team at SLCB. With such talents, Rushdi’s only wish is to complete work on his web site by January, 2015. Yet, it is something which he cannot do on his own. In addition to his initial idea, he said, “The software and the magnifiers are use to magnify images on the screen rather expensive. Also I want to continue my studies as well. I would like if someone could support me in my studies in the future”.
This vision, this dream, this goal, invisible to the entire world except the person holding it, is responsible for perhaps every great advancement and achievement of humankind. Everything worthwhile achieved by every human being is a dream come true a goal being reached. It’s been said that whatever the mind can conceive and believe will be achieved. On a concluding remark, giving a valuable message to all individuals, Rushdi said: “Go ahead in life without expecting any sympathy from anyone and do not complain about your weaknesses. Take maximum use of what you have, Without the help of some individuals I would never have come this far. Therefore I would like to thank Mr. Sanjeewa who helped me in Chess, Mr. Julian Bolling, the SLCB and Ms. Manique Gunarathne from The Employers’ Federation of Ceylon who gave me immense support to be who I am today”.
Anybody who wishes to give a hand to Rushdi could contact him via his email address tmrcassim@gmail.com.
Tuan Mohammed Rushdi Cassim, 27, is a charming young lad from Enderamulla, Wattala. Having had his primary education at Carey College, he was among the many other students who had a vision to succeed in life. Yet, like for every other human being, life was not easy for him. Suffering from faint vision and night blindness ever since he was small, Rushdi had difficulties in doing his day-to-day work specially in dim light. When he consulted several local ophthalmologists none of them could identify his condition.
Without giving, he left to India where he was able to find what has come up to be his biggest challenge. According to doctors, Rushdi was suffering from Retinitis Pigmentosa, which is an identified eye disease in which there is damage to the Retina and would often cause severe vision impairment and often blindness. Although he was thoroughly disheartened by this message, he was not willing to step down from his journey. In the preceding years, he graduated from the National Institute of Business Management with a BSc. In Management Information Systems, along with an Advanced Diploma in Human Resource Management and Diploma in Psychology from the American College of Higher Education (ACHE), Dehiwala. He was a member of the Sri Lankan Council for the Blind(SLCB) where he learned Braille, how to use the white cane and also came across many visually impaired individuals who were engaged in business. When looking at them he was motivated in giving them a hand and in turn he came up with an idea to develop an online marketing store.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror about his idea, Rushdi said “ I Want to give a hand to all visually impaired individuals in the Island. People are more oriented to work online nowadays. This is an online marketing store in which all visually impaired persons will be able to market their product and find a living. I started it this month and with the help of my friend I am in the process of finding the contact details of all visually impaired persons who are doing business. Their details will be up on the web site and anybody willing to donate or buy their products is more than welcome to visit the web site and make their contribution”.
In addition to tech skills, Rushdi is also a talented sportsman. He was a participant at the All Island Visually Impaired Chess Tournament, where he was placed 2nd and received his certificate from Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal. He also a swimmer being trained under Julin Bolling and a member of the cricket team at SLCB. With such talents, Rushdi’s only wish is to complete work on his web site by January, 2015. Yet, it is something which he cannot do on his own. In addition to his initial idea, he said, “The software and the magnifiers are use to magnify images on the screen rather expensive. Also I want to continue my studies as well. I would like if someone could support me in my studies in the future”.
This vision, this dream, this goal, invisible to the entire world except the person holding it, is responsible for perhaps every great advancement and achievement of humankind. Everything worthwhile achieved by every human being is a dream come true a goal being reached. It’s been said that whatever the mind can conceive and believe will be achieved. On a concluding remark, giving a valuable message to all individuals, Rushdi said: “Go ahead in life without expecting any sympathy from anyone and do not complain about your weaknesses. Take maximum use of what you have, Without the help of some individuals I would never have come this far. Therefore I would like to thank Mr. Sanjeewa who helped me in Chess, Mr. Julian Bolling, the SLCB and Ms. Manique Gunarathne from The Employers’ Federation of Ceylon who gave me immense support to be who I am today”.
Anybody who wishes to give a hand to Rushdi could contact him via his email address tmrcassim@gmail.com.
