Next time you visit a massage parlour don’t be surprised to find a visually-impaired person giving you a head massage. You may be handed to their good care even if you opt for specialised Aroma, Thai, Swedish massages or fat reduction and relaxation therapies.
Life has changed for 35 students of the Blind Relief Association ever since the association tied up with VLCC about two years ago for a certificate course in massaging. David, the placement officer says, “I had heard that the blind in Thailand give massages. I thought why couldn’t the Indians do it? ”
There’s another first to the course. It is the only vocational course that helps students become self-employed. They were lucky to get an instructor in Rampal Singh, who was a masseur at Oberoi Health Centre.
But the going has not been easy for the students. Clients find it difficult to accept blind masseurs. Shyam, a student at Hindu College, now works with Bapu Nature Cure Hospital, an Ayurvedic Centre.
The money will help him do a masters in Hindi.
