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Memories by Nausheen Galaria
Some moments redefine a mother's life. For me, that moment came when doctors delivered news no parent wants to hear: my infant son, just six weeks old, had a severe, rare, life-threatening eye condition affecting both eyes. What I couldn't know then was that this diagnosis would mark the beginning of an extraordinary storyânot of limitation, but of possibility.
The long and devastating medical journey of Amaan, now seven years old, continues. He lives with complete vision loss in one eye and severe low vision in the other â not sufficient to read print or recognize faces. He is legally blind. Both Amaan and I travel regularly from our home in Muscat, Oman, to Hyderabad, India, for follow-up appointments with his doctorsâsometimes monthly, currently every four months.
After those initial years passed, I faced new challenges: educational barriers. The widely accepted approach for educating blind and low-vision students involves enrollment in specialized schools where students learn braille initially and receive assistive technology training much later, typically in their teens or adulthood.
In Muscat, there is only one school for the blind, and instruction is conducted in Arabic. I began learning braille to teach Amaan myself, but I remained largely unsatisfied and kept questioning: How long and tedious would this journey be? I couldn't settle with the fact that I would always depend on specialized teachers to learn content first before teaching Amaan.
In my search for answers, I thankfully discovered Mr. Ram Kamal from Chakshumathi, who guided me toward a revolutionary approachâ"The New Age Assistive Technology Way." This method would allow me to train my child independently and make his work accessible to everyone, including mainstream school teachers unfamiliar with braille.
This discovery brought massive change to our lives. We stopped traveling to distant places to learn braille. Instead, I taught Amaan to touch type, use screen readers and shortcut keys, and independently operate his laptop, mobile phone, and AI devices for all his studies.
Amaan switched to technology at age four, making him among the youngest to use assistive technology for education. By age six, he set a record with the India Book of Records for Fastest Typing and his video was featured at the National Awards for Empowerment of People with Disabilities, showcasing the importance of assistive technology in early education and how it opens doors to mainstream schooling, providing equal opportunities and acceptance.
Throughout this journey, I learned numerous new skills myself: typing in Hindi, teaching mathematics on the computer, using accessibility features like TalkBack and gestures for smartphones, and creating digital content.
Although inclusive education policies exist, society at large and mainstream schools remain largely uncertain about accommodating children with different abilities. Despite Amaan's extensive training and advanced academic abilities compared to children his age, we faced rejection from schools citing lack of special educators or suggesting we pursue blind school options instead.
Amaan was finally offered a place at a mainstream school with one condition: I would attend with him as a shadow parent. For the initial years, this arrangement proved beneficial. As the parent of a young visually impaired child aged four, being present helped him adapt to the school environment and assisted with managing his laptop and other practical needs.
Traditional views treat disabilities as problems that need fixing. But this misses an important truth: disabilities often mean doing things differently, not worse. When we see "disability" as "different ability," we stop focusing on what's wrong and start valuing the many ways people can succeed.
Instead, I taught Amaan to touch type, use screen readers and shortcut keys, and independently operate his laptop, mobile phone, and AI devices for all his studies.
Once in school, Amaan and I together shattered prejudices and misconceptions about children with visual impairments. He independently answered all his tests and assessments on his laptop, without relying on scribes, scoring 100% each time. He held his head high, winning numerous talent competitions at school and inter-school levels. He consistently comes first in nearly every competition he enters:
Each triumph was worthy of celebrationânot merely as an achievement, but as a powerful statement lifting him from pity to dignity. A visually impaired child wasn't just participating; he was winning against hundreds of sighted peers, proving that ability transcends sight.
Mesmerized and amazed by his talent in public speaking and his numerous awards and records, Amaan was invited by his principal, Sir Alex C. Joseph, to deliver a motivational speech to the outgoing 12th graders at their graduation ceremony.
Amaan's maiden motivational speech at age six lasted ten minutes, which he delivered flawlessly without notes. This achievement helped him set a record with the Influencer Book of World Records as the Youngest Motivational Speaker. He later inspired the entire school in multiple sessions with his speeches, touching the hearts of his peers and motivating them to excel.
Amaan was subsequently invited as a motivational speaker at an inter-school event, "Avenir 2025âA Career Counselling Fair." His inspirational journey caught media attention, with features on page two of Oman's leading newspapers, the Oman Observer and Muscat Daily.
Today, Amaan receives invitations from educational institutions and organizations as a motivational speaker. In the coming weeks, he will visit various schools to motivate students across Oman. He has been chosen for a Special Award from his school for the second consecutive year for overall excellence in the 2025 academic year, to be presented at the school's Annual Day.
In this exceptional journey, my role as his mother has been pivotal. I have selflessly sacrificed my promising career and fully dedicated myself to building his future. Both of us are, different ability and assistive technology advocates, and together we spread awareness through our YouTube channel "WonderBoy_Amaan" and Instagram page "WonderBoy_Amaan2018," sharing Inspiration and knowledge about Technology and AI.
The hours spent training him for competitions, setting national and international records, preparing speeches, finding creative solutions, conducting researchâall while managing ongoing worries and anxietyâcontinue.
We have a long journey ahead. I am not merely building academic skills but fostering confidence and true independence in Amaan.
We have a long journey ahead. I am not merely building academic skills but fostering confidence and true independence.
Sometimes I question whether attending school is truly important and necessary. I could choose to keep him home and pursue a fulfilling career; however, that would mean cutting him off from the exposure he has today. Everyone knows him as a "star" because he is out there, coexisting and competing alongside his sighted peers. He has many friends and truly enjoys his time at school.
The path we've walked wasn't one I would have chosen, yet I've come to believe it was the one chosen for us. I trust in God's special plan for Amaan and for meâa plan that unfolds with each challenge we overcome, each barrier we break, each mind we change.
Perhaps this journey of sacrifice and dedication is preparing us both for something far greater than we can yet imagine. Hopefully soon, both of us will independently strive toward excellence in our respective lives, each fulfilling the unique purpose for which we were made.
I channeled my fear and concern for my son's future into a powerful drive to help him excel in whatever he pursues. I am working towards my dream of making him a role model, a voice ânot only for the differently abled, but for all students facing challenges. I wish for the world to learn about his exceptional journey and discover that limitations can spark innovation, different paths lead to extraordinary places, and true excellence comes from embracing unique strengths.
Today, as Amaan navigates Grade 2 with the same determination that has defined his young life, I am not focused solely on awards or accolades rather I am thinking about the next child who will be turned away from a school, the next mother who will be told what her child cannot do. Because this story isn't just about one remarkable childâit's about changing what society believes is possible.
From an infant facing vision loss to a seven-year-old champion, Amaan has rewritten expectations at every turn. But perhaps the greater transformation has occurred in everyone watchingâlearning that so called societal labeling of disability doesn't diminish potential, barriers are meant to be broken, and a mother's love, combined with determination and innovation, can move mountains.
Those days of residential special schools for children with blindness or hearing hard has gone. Now technology enables every child with different abilities to perform like any other mainstream student using a laptop instead of the printed text and notebook, and break their learning barriers, and every parent who believes their child and understands this advantage can make use of Chakshumathi's Early Bird and Mummy Bird free handholding program to empower themselves, like Nausheen Galaria.
Follow Amaan's Inspirational Journey:
Instagram: @WonderBoy_Amaan2018
YouTube: WonderBoy_Amaan