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Journalism of Courage
Shailesh Panchang appears another busy exec meeting a deadline. At his workdesk, you see him furiously punching the computer keys. But, there8217;s a difference. While the fingers fly with practised ease over the keyboard, it has been a hard-won battle for the active mind trapped in a sightless body. Panchang has been visually impaired for the past six years. One day in 1991, this chartered accountant working as a senior consultant with a leading management consulting firm, complained of a severe headache and fever.
Before he knew it, the 31-year-old had lost his sight. And his patterned life came crashing down. Six years later, he has managed to piece his life together with determination and a supportive family. But not without his share of anguish. 8220;It took me some time to come to grips with my disability,8221; he confesses. But get over it he did, launching straight into work. Using his computer skills to advantage, Panchang set up an E-mail service accessindia under the Business India group. 8220;I knew I could not continue in the long-term knowing the competition one would have to gear up to.8221; Combining his professional training with his skills, Panchang has, over the past few years, worked on auditing assignments for Kirloskar Oil Engines Ltd., developed accounting procedures for Thermax Ltd. and works as an internal auditor for Infosys Technologies Ltd. Excel spreadsheet.
He has developed a comprehensive excel based income and tax planner with hyperlinks to current tax provisions and is looking for clients to sell it to. 8220;When I was devising this the formulae, it ran up to two lines. It involved a lot of perseverance and patience. Companies can install this on their Intranet and allow employees to figure out their earnings and taxes without referring to expert advice in most cases. His wife Nilima, who works in a city college says,8220;Companies need to give him a worthwhile chance. Most lose interest in his application when they realise he is blind.8221; While Panchang counters it with, 8220;My imagination or memory is not impaired. Yet, I have to prove myself at every turn. A big help for him has been JAWS Job Access With Speech, a screen-reading software which he had installed in his computer in 1996.
8220;My brother in the USA helped me install it. This software significantly enhances access to information and communication. This technology should be introduced to the visually impaired at a young age as part of rehabilitation training,8221; says Panchang who is willing to help other visually impaired individuals to train in computer education.
Evenings are spent helping children Preeti and Ashutosh with homework. The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune have not dimmed his spirit. He is willing to prove that. All he needs is a fair chance.
