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Submitted by Sanjog bhagat on 30 January 2019

Travel is extremely important for the growth and development of the visually impaired, stresses Preeti Monga, a veteran traveller and the blind expert of Enable Travel, an accessible holiday specialist.

You are a veteran traveller, having toured over a dozen countries and visited almost every state in India. What has been your experience as a blind traveller?

I love travelling; it is my passion. I think a huge chunk of my knowledge bank has come to me because of my travels. You learn so much when you travel. I attribute almost 80 per cent of who I am to all my travel experiences. It has been absolutely wonderful. Being blind I may miss out all the visual learning and cues, but the experience of being in different places, meeting different people, eating different food, touching different textures, smelling different smells - it is just provides amazing knowledge and, of course, entertainment and fun.

Which place, in India and abroad, you enjoyed and felt most comfortable?

Maybe, I can tell you the place I didn’t like that much. The one that immediately comes to mind, and it may surprise many, is - Mumbai. I felt it was too concrete and too impersonal kind of place. And very humid. Probably I was there at the wrong times. Otherwise, I loved all other places that I visited. I love the beach and the mountains. For example in Hong Kong there was different kind of food I was trying to experiment with, language was different - they speak a lot of Cantonese which was new to me.

You are a strong advocate of travel for the visually impaired? What are the benefits of travel and tourism for them?

You know most visually impaired people and their families feel that – ‘Oh you can’t see, what you will do? What is the point of you going sightseeing?’ I think such a mindset is very discouraging. As I said earlier, travel can be a great source of knowledge. You learn about new places, new people, new terrain. It is one of the best ways of learning, understanding and claiming your world. For example, how do I explain to a blind person, what is a mountain. Till I make them climb the mountain, experience the cold, feel the trees and flora and fauna - that is when I get him or her to understand what is a mountain. Similarly, how do you explain a sea to a visually impaired person? Unless this person is put into the water and the water waves rock him or her. It’s the sound of the waves, texture of the sand, the taste of the water in your mouth, that’s when you understand what is sea is. Travel is extremely important for the growth and development of the visually impaired. And of course, this world belongs to everyone. It also belongs to the visually impaired. It is our right to go out there, and claim the world.

How successful have you been in promoting travel for the visually impaired?

Not really. There are millions of blind people in the country who need to travel. Initially, I met with little or no response. But now some people are coming forward to explore. The number is growing very slowly.

How do you select your destinations? Which are some of the disability friendly, easy to navigate places, both in India and abroad?

Well, nowhere is safe. This world is made By sighted people For sighted people and we just have to manage to adjust somehow. So there is no place which is safe and comfortable for a blind person. There are some places which do take care of providing some guidelines and using some markers for people with vision impairment, but nowhere is 100 per cent safe.

Silver Linings, your NGO that works for the empowerment of visually impaired, has also taken the blind trekking and mountain climbing? What kind of travel is best suited for the blind?

Silver Lining does take the visually impaired for treks. There is absolutely no travel that a blind person cannot do. All travel is good for them. It is up to the person to decide where he or she wishes to go, how far they want to explore. They can go rappelling, mountain climbing, deep sea diving,…everything.

What are the most formidable barriers for blind travellers?

The most formidable barrier for a blind traveller is his or her attitude; that they are visually impaired and not competent to travel. Once that barrier is removed, I don’t think there are any barriers for visually impaired traveller.

Disability in India only means a wheelchair. That is not true. Even if a blind person is out on his or her own, the first thing he or she will be given is a wheelchair, which is absolutely ridiculous. It is sad that a huge disability such as blindness is misunderstood. It is not that the visually impaired person cannot walk. No, we can run, walk, do everything. This is something that needs to be clarified. If I ask for a trip for a blind group, they ask me after listening to all my stories, how many wheelchairs would you require. Blind people do not need wheelchairs.

What is the general feedback you get from travellers on their return?

They are simply transformed. Their confidence levels zoom. They are different human beings. It is as if they have found their wings and they want to explore more and more.

Do Indian families support travel for the blind?

I don’t really know because you don’t see many blind people travelling. There are millions of blind people around, but how many do we see travelling and on holidays, and in social gatherings. Most of them are locked up in their homes or institutions or left out in the fringes. So the answer is obvious.

Is tourism for the visually impaired gaining acceptance and popularity in India?

Yes, in the last few years tourism for the blind, for the disabled is gaining some ground as in some companies are coming forward. I believe Enable Travel is India's first accessible holiday specialist channelling the ‘Can Do’ spirit of disabled dreamers and I am their blind expert.