Saturday, January 3, 2009

Arab entrepeneur says blindness brought him opportunities

A profile of Amar appears in Khaleej Times in Saudi Arabia. He described as a "world traveller, entrepreneur, director, actor, public speaker, avid adventurer and, most significantly an inspiration globally. His passion led him to be the founder and director of Traveleyes, the world's first international air tour operator specifically dedicated to serving the blind as well as sighted travellers."

Here's what Amar said about his diagnosis of retinitis pigmentosa, which led to his blindness: "I would definitely say that it has opened a new world of opportunities for me. By losing my sight, it made me a more determined person and also helped me realise the simple truth — to make the most of one's life. Two months into my masters course, I realised that I could not read. It was then that I decided that I had to push my own boundaries to become who I wanted to be. So, I left for Canada to complete my studies and my journey actually began there."