‘I stopped wearing the dark glasses I used to wear. When I attended a cultural function at school, someone told me that I look like a normal girl when I wear glasses. I then asked: ‘Without glasses do I look abnormal’? People like to hide what they are missing. I have nothing to hide. I can’t see and that doesn’t cause me any pain. I have never seen anything in my life other than by feeling or touching or hearing. I am alert to any presence and can feel things around me. I have developed this sense since childhood. Now I read in class six. I want to reach the rank of policy maker. You can’t make anyone feel someone’s struggle. Only if one of us, someone lacking physical ability, reaches the highest rank of government will people say that a blind girl like me is as normal as any other human being’ - Mariyum (16)