Durga Prasad: Polio is only a folio - Defying all odds

Durga Prasad joined GIPT under the physical disability quota, earning his spot through merit via an entrance exam. Despite facing the challenge of polio, Durga Prasad pursued a three-year diploma course. He would literally crawl to college daily, arriving on time without missing classes, thanks to the hostel being conveniently located right in front of the college. He never sought special attention or consideration for his condition, approaching life with the mindset of being normal. He views his physical challenge as just one of many ‘folios’ that make up the book of everyone's life.

In 2007, Durga Prasad began his journey at GIPT, graduating in 2010 with a diploma. During his course, he underwent industrial training at Kala Jyothi, one of Hyderabad's best print factories. While classroom learning provided the foundation, his six-month training at Kala Jyothi truly honed his practical skills. This experience boosted his confidence, making him see his physical challenge as merely a small hurdle. After qualifying from GIPT, he worked at Kala Jyothi from 2010 to 2012, establishing a strong foundation in pre-press work.

In 2014, he secured a job in Chennai at AEL Data, located in an IT SEZ area. Here, he gained expertise in pre-press related to Braille printing. However, the rising cost of living in Chennai, without a proportionate increase in his salary, led him to quit his job after three years and return to his village, Vetlapalem in Kakinada district.

From 2017, Durga Prasad struggled to make ends meet by doing freelance pre-press Braille work. His former colleague, who also worked from home, would occasionally divert clients to him, but Durga Prasad couldn't make significant progress on his own. Then, one day in 2020, with the onset of the pandemic, he called me (D Nagarjuna), seeking opportunities to move forward.

Knowing Durga Prasad's challenges and the reluctance of employers to hire someone with a physical disability, I probed into what he could truly do. He then suggested that Durga Prasad Google prospective outsourcing persons or firms, both in India and abroad. His efforts within India were not fruitful. However, he identified Ms Jennifer from the USA and messaged her about his ability to deliver Braille-related works. Her encouraging reply prompted him to seek my help with correspondence, as he openly confessed his lack of fluency in English, stating that all drafts would be monitored by his teacher. This honesty seemed to endear him to Ms Jennifer, who first requested a sample of his work. He sent a sample page of the assigned work, and she was satisfied, assuring him regular work. This marked the turning point, and Durga Prasad became a highly valued outsourced person, consistently completing every assignment to her fullest satisfaction in terms of quality and deadline.

As their work chemistry clicked, I stepped back, and Durga Prasad became independent. At one point, he expressed a desire for a higher quality monitor. And so, I drafted a letter for him, to which Ms Jennifer responded favourably and instantly. She promptly ordered a brand-new, high-end monitor through Amazon, which enabled him to produce better and faster work.

Recently, in response to Durga Prasad's persistent requests, I ventured to his village, some 600 kms from Hyderabad, to witness his modest life in a small house where he lives jointly with his brother and cares for his parents. Needless to state, I couldn't refuse his appeal, as he wanted me to appreciate him, boost his morale, and showcase him as a role model for all those facing different challenges, and as a mirror to those who refuse to confront life's difficulties despite being physically unimpaired.

Durga Prasad has now established an online service shop called "Mee Seva," where people visit to avail all kinds of government services for a nominal fee, supplementing his income from Braille work.

There are two crucial lessons to be learned from Durga Prasad's journey: Despite his physical challenges, he never remained idle, and he always maintained a mindset of never looking back. This is the story of a polio-affected printing technologist. Therefore, all others with perfect health have no excuse to remain idle; instead, they should serve the industry and lead happy and prosperous lives.

Remember, there is no substitute for hard work.