Saima’s Story

Saima’s Story with Audio Description:

Saima was born fully sighted, but her world changed when she began experiencing rapid eyesight deterioration through her childhood and adolescence. 

Initially affecting her night vision, her daytime sight declined during her teenage years. After years of medical tests, Saima was finally diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa at seventeen. At twenty-five, she developed cataracts in both eyes, leaving her with only light perception today.

The impact on Saima’s life was significant. She struggled with resentment and faced obstacles in pursuing her ambition of becoming a lawyer. Embracing a new found determination, Saima became the only blind chartered accountant in the UK, embracing assistive technology to live independently and work full-time.

HOW SAIMA GETS MOVING

Despite her achievements, Saima felt her life was missing something – physical activity. She got involved with Galloways, a sight loss charity based in Preston, and Lancashire Lions in Manchester. These clubs opened the door to new activities including blind baseball. However, attending these sessions was often difficult.

Undeterred, Saima craved regular exercise and bought a treadmill to use at home which helped to kickstart her physical activity journey. But she knew something was missing: the camaraderie of like-minded individuals. Driven to make a change, Saima took it upon herself to establish a blind baseball group at Bangor Street Community Centre in Blackburn.

Blind baseball allows her to run unaided from one base to the next, relying only on her hearing – it gives her a sense of freedom. The group not only encourages physical activity, and has provided opportunities for other people with similar challenges to be active, but also fosters connections and a sense of belonging for those with visual impairments.

RESOURCES