Undeterred by vision loss ex-scribe becomes first visually impaired university PRO in Kerala

Pradeep was at the peak of his career as a journalist, when he began losing his sight due to a disease called retinitis pigmentosa -- a group of rare, inherited genetic disorders causing progressive retinal degeneration finally leading to complete visual impairment. Their joint struggles helped Pradeep become the countrys first PRO who is visually impaired.

At 39, B J Pradeep, a journalist, began losing his vision, forcing him to give up his profession and even shun the television. But his wife, Bindu, helped pull him out of despair and rebuild his life. Her intervention and assistance eventually helped him become the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Kannur University, 15 years later. Pradeep was at the peak of his career as a journalist, when he began losing his sight due to a disease called retinitis pigmentosa -- a group of rare, inherited genetic disorders causing progressive retinal degeneration finally leading to complete visual impairment. ''It was in 2011 that I started losing my vision. It was emotionally very painful for me. I was unable to accept it. After I lost my job as a journalist, I stopped watching TV for a long time because I did not have the mental strength to see my friends energetically present news when I could not do the same,'' he told a TV channel. It was during this difficult phase that his colleague Bindu came into his life. Together they set a new goal for him -- securing a government job -- and she played a key role in helping him achieve it. ''Actually I got hold of all the books that he would need for his exams and audio recorded them. I would read the books and record it and he would listen to the recordings all the time, even in the bathroom. ''I have seen him go into the bathroom with the headphones over his ears. He worked hard. He cleared a lot of service exams,'' Bindu said. Amid their struggles came another setback when Bindu was diagnosed with cancer. But the couple was not disheartened by that development, and instead they become ''mentors'' for each other, Pradeep said. ''We became mentors for each other. I would tell her that if a person like me without vision can survive, then why not you? ''In return, she would ask me that if she can survive such a deadly disease, why cannot I surpass the obstacle posed by my lack of vision?'' he said. Their joint struggles helped Pradeep become the country's first PRO who is visually impaired. ''Through my life as an example I am showing that we can achieve any goal and for that lack of vision, mobility, hearing or anything else is not a hurdle,'' he emphasised.