CHENNAI: December 29, a Sunday morning in 2013. Miranda Tomkinson, a person with hearing and visual disabilities, enters the UGC NET examination hall at MGR Janaki College in Chennai, with his head held high. With a tense face, he receives the question paper, but in Braille, marking a victorious end to his legal battle. Thanks to a Madras High Court directive, his months-long struggle has ultimately earned him a place in history as the first visually-challenged candidate to receive a question paper in Braille for the UGC NET exam.
Miranda, a deaf-blind lecturer employed on a contract basis at the National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities (NIEPMD), is on a mission to improve society’s understanding of people with disabilities. With two books in the pipeline and dreams of making a film flying high, Miranda’s focus revolves around a single goal — raising awareness about individuals with multiple disabilities, particularly deaf-blind persons, to make their lives more accessible.
Born into an Anglo-Indian family in Chennai, Miranda inherited his resilience from his father, also a deaf-blind person who worked in the railways. Growing up, Miranda studied in special schools till Class 9 and later transitioned into a mainstream school. “I was born blind and started losing my hearing ability by the age of 14. It was a challenging time, especially while pursuing my higher secondary education. However, I wanted to study in an inclusive environment without segregation, and my teachers supported me; enabling me to pass with distinction,” he recalled. Beating hurdles, this 45-year-old went on to complete postgraduate degrees in Sociology and Special Education, becoming possibly the first deaf-blind person in the country to earn both BEd and MEd degrees in Special Education. “While starting my higher education at Loyola College, I was gradually losing my hearing ability. Several of my friends would read textbooks to me, shouting out loud, so that I could hear,” he said.
Considering these challenges, Miranda later opted for distance education for his MA in Sociology and then pursued Special Education courses at NIEPMD.
Clearing the UGC NET examination in both Sociology and Special Education, without the aid of a Braille question paper for the latter, was indeed a feather in the cap for this determined soul, who even had to approach the Madras High Court and fight for his right to get a Braille question paper.
Embracing technological advancements, Miranda uses a refreshable Braille device to communicate and teach. The device, connected to a computer, converts typed text into Braille, enabling him to read what others are saying and respond accordingly. “I carry out daily tasks independently and travel on my own. When I am outside, I ask people to write on my palm so I can understand what they are saying and respond. The refreshable device enables me to text people as well,” he explained.
However, after four years of use, Miranda’s device stopped functioning properly. The machine, which was sponsored by a donor earlier, costs around Rs 1.2 lakh, a price that makes accessibility tools unaffordable for many persons with disabilities.
Despite the day-to-day struggles, Miranda never fails to find time for his passions. Being an avid reader, he has read over 100 books so far, and credits his wife Rexy Vinotha for playing a crucial role in helping him access reading materials.
Miranda’s upcoming books address critical gaps in disability education. The first — ‘Ending the Debate on the Learning of Infants and Children with Deaf-blindness’ — emphasises the importance of early intervention for children with dual sensory loss. Whereas, the second — ‘A Way to Ensure the Inclusion of Individuals with Deaf-blindness in Higher Education’ — explores the solutions for making colleges and universities more accessible.
Apart from books, he also wants to make a movie about deaf-blind people as it would cater to a wider audience, not limited to the world of readers. “Many people, including service professionals like doctors and teachers, don’t know how to interact with or support children with disabilities. Early understanding can make a world of difference in how these children adapt and thrive,” he points out.
He further advocates for the implementation of the 4% reservation in government jobs under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, to ensure more people with disabilities live independently. The director of NIEPMD and other faculty members are also exploring the possibility of providing him with permanent employment at the institute under the 4% reservation.
However, they are worried considering my age, as the implementation of the reservation is not likely to happen anytime in the near future, he added.
Nevertheless, for his colleagues, Miranda’s journey has been truly inspiring. “He (Miranda) came to NIEPMD in 2009 after completing his postgraduate degree in Sociology but faced difficulties in obtaining his degree certificate from the university. Since then, we have seen him find his way forward. Despite opposition, Rexy stood by her decision to marry him and has been a pillar of support,” says a proud colleague, Stalin Arul Regan, Special Teacher (Deaf-blind) at NIEPMD.
Expanding his goals, Miranda now hopes to contribute towards the development of an application and a device for real-time live transcription, which could benefit deaf-blind individuals.
(Edited by Arya A J)