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Hi, my name is George Abraham and welcome to Eyeway Conversations. My guest today is Hannah Alice Simon, a very special and a highly gifted young lady from Kerala. Hi, Hannah, welcome!
Hi, George. Well, thank you so much for having me with you.
So to begin with, let me congratulate you on this spectacular performance at the CBSE exams this year. And let me begin by asking you what is the 99.2 story? What has been your preparation? How did you write your exam and what was the support you got?
I want to start with a Bible verse that has led me all these years of my life and that is Isaiah chapter 42, verse 16 which says I will lead the blind by ways that they have not known along unfamiliar paths, I will guide them either turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things that I will do, I will not forsake them. Just like the Bible was, God has always turned the darkness into light before me. My mother used to say that when I was really young, they obviously were tensed and worried about me. And they used to think how I would walk on my own, how I would live on my own. And now, here I am with such a big score in the CBSE board exams, and life has always been full of miracles. And God has always done so much more than we expected. And the journey till here, it was not easy. But then it was not a journey of sorrow. Life has both sorrow and happiness, and I had a good share of both of them. I studied in a normal school from the very beginning. My parents were very insistent on that. And I faced challenges there in terms of inclusion. But every challenge I faced and overcame made me stronger, and I decided that I wanted to become a psychologist. So in 11th and 12th, I studied Humanities Psychology of which Economics was the most challenging, but due to God's grace, I was able to score 100% in Economics, Psychology and Sociology, and 99 percentage in politics and 97 for English.
How did you actually prepare for these exams, there would have been a lot of reading to be done, there would be also classes. So what has been your learning strategy?
I did have access to the PDF versions of my textbooks. And they were the notes that I took down on my computer. Basically, these are the only preparations that a humanities student studying in the CBSE needs. She should be thorough with the textbook, that is the first and foremost thing. And because it is humanities, you should have an act of writing, an act of presenting your answers very well. Our teachers are trained us in that and because I read a lot, I have sufficient language. So even if a question comes up, which is more general in nature, I can somehow put together the information that I know and present it well. So I was able to do that. And I also studied the textbook very well. I did not depend on any other extra additional textbooks, except perhaps during the last few months, our teachers gave us sample question papers and things like that. I studied that. But I did not depend on any other extra textbooks, other than what the school gave me
Coming to the examination, what was the kind of preparation you had to do in terms of the logistics of the exam? And how did you give the exam?
I have permission from CBSE to write my exams on the computer. Last time when 10th board exams were happening, I used JAWS as my software, as my screen reader. This time, I asked them if I could use NVDA. They gave me permission for that. And that's how I did it. So for the first exam it was all MCQ questions. And all the students had to bubble their answers. CBSE did not give me an alternative for that in the beginning. And then what we finally figured out is, I would write all the answers in a Word document in the computer, and there would be a teacher who would be with me, and she would bubble the same answer that I wrote on the computer in the proper answer paper. So it is kind of like a scribe, but I'm also simultaneously typing the answers on the computer. And they'll keep a copy of that. And in the second term, that was not a problem because the second term examinations were completely descriptive. So it was the usual thing, I would write my answers in a Word document, the school would take a printout of it, and then they will send it for evaluation.
So the question paper was available to you online?
No, it wasn't. So what they did is- CBSE has a rule stating that the question paper bundles can be opened only at a specific time. Only, I think, 15 minutes before the examination starts. So I went to a different school to write my exam. I went to bobbins. The teachers there after opening the question paper, they would use an OCR and they would scan the question paper, and then they would give it to me with the help of a pendrive. And most of the time, it took a little more time for the question paper to be completely scanned. So I had to start my exams late, but they adjusted the time accordingly. And sometimes, scanning can be a little inaccurate. And there were mistakes here and there. But the teachers were supportive. So whenever there was a mistake, they clarified it for me, and they typed in the correct words. So I think without the teachers support, I couldn't have done it. I would have faced a lot of problems, but they were constantly supporting me even though they were not to the teachers from my own school.
But did you get any extra time because the CBSE rules does say that a blind student gets 20 minutes per hour extra. Was there any of that kind of provision for you or?
Yes, I did get extra time. So for the first term exam, which was one and a half hours, I got half an hour extra. And for the second term exam, which was two hours, I got 40 minutes extra.
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Now, I believe you said that you had studied in a mainstream school. Talk about your experiences in the school.
I started my education in grades. The Principal and the management was really good in that way that they gave me the admission but my first year LKG, I just sat in class. That's all I can say, the teacher never bothered to teach me anything she went on with her work. She taught the alphabet to the others. So that was my first year. My mother taught me. I can see a little, I can see colors and I can see large letters. So initially, she used marker pens, and a whiteboard. And she taught me the alphabet. I learned capital letters, numbers, and I also learned Malayalam letters and Hindi letters. I forgotten how the Hindi letters are now. But I learned all of them just because I grew up in a family where my parents told me that you are not different. When I was in first grade, my mother learned braille. And then she started teaching me and I started using braille from 5th grade onwards. I started taking notes in Braille. That was also slightly hard because when you write in braille, you have to use a lot of force to make sure that the dots appear on the chart paper. And then in 8th grade, I shifted to using the computer, I was initially very reluctant to adapt to learn how to use technology very well, but the resource room teachers in my school in Rajagiri. They are the ones who compelled me to start using computers and when I started using computers, things became much easier. Earlier, I had to rush to keep up with my friends when I was taking notes in braille. Now, even before they have finished the sentence, I would have finished the sentence. I would have finished typing and I would be waiting. From 6th grade, I had learned to download the PDF textbooks. And that's how I learned. But Maths was a problem because the PDF versions were not really accessible in terms of diagrams and figures. So till 9th grade, my mother taught me maths. And then in 10th grade, I had a tuition teacher who taught me Maths, and even for geometry, I had no tactile aids or anything like that, though my tuition teacher would raise the figures with my finger. And I had to memorize them in my mind, learn which is angle A, which is angle B, all of that. And then I had to solve the questions. And then about the other subjects like social science or science, where you have maps and diagrams. Usually, the teachers gave me question which did not involve any of that.
Growing up in school, did you get an opportunity to participate in games and physical fitness activities?
I still remember in LKG and UKG, we had running races and I wanted to run but the teachers wouldn't let me. I came home and I told my mother about it. And my mother was very fierce when it came to me. And if anybody hurt me, she would become very fierce and angry. So she made it a point to go and speak to the teacher and she told her that I also wanted to run and she had to let me run. So I remember, everyone ran and in the last group, I was also placed. And I also ran, I did come at the very last, but still I was able to run that day. And later on in 5th grade, I shifted to Rajagiri, again, when we had physical education, initially, the teacher could not accept that I also wanted to run. Again, this excessive care thing came in where he thought that I would fall. But I told him that I wanted to play too. That was the time when I wanted to explore everything. And my best friend Meghna, she was very supportive about it so I could not play basketball, but I could play dodgeball. So what we did is when we were inside the ring, and when the others were throwing the ball at us, me and Meghna would hold hands and we would just move together. And we did have code words like jump, lose your hands, move, things like that. And I used to have so much fun with playing dodgeball. We used to come out of school a little early and before we got into the bus, we would go to the playground and we used to run 100 meters back and forth and do things like that. And at that time, I was a huge Enid Blyton and Malory Towers fan even my friend was. And Malory Towers, Enid Blyton, if you have read them, you will understand how much importance the characters plays on being fit and healthy, having freckle skin and being sunbathed. So I was like a huge fan of Malory Towers and if the characters in that book were fit and healthy and loved basketball, and lacrosse and all that then I had to be like that too. So those years- my middle school years - I was really into all of this. And again, in 9th standard, we had compulsory gym, there my gym teachers, my sir and ma'am were really supportive. So our gym sessions started with jogging and while the others jog in a separate line, my friend and I could jog in a more open space where there were no obstacles. My teacher made sure of that and they also made sure that I also could do all the circular training, learn all the moves. Those two teachers were very inclusive about that.
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Tell me a little bit about your eye problem. Is this something that you were born with or this is something that you've acquired along the way?
I was born blind, but it is not a genetic condition. It's called microphthalmia. And it basically means that during my mother's pregnancy, when all my organs were developing, my eyes did not develop sufficiently. And it's not just my cornea, but also the internal part of my eyes did not develop.
What are your memories of your early days growing up as a child?
Childhood was frankly a very insecure period for me. And usually, every person, his favorite childhood memories would be those friends or spend with his friends playing, running around and doing things like that. But for me, my best childhood memories are those spent with my parents because at that point in life, they were the only people I really had. They were the only constants in my life. Because I can see lights, I love lights and colors. So when I was really small, we used to go on night rides, we used to drive through the streets, and they used to show me all the lights. And we have Onam here in Kerala, so when they went to a shop, they would take me to see the bootcamp, they would make me feel the bootcamp, they would make me shake hands with the Santa Claus during Christmas. They made sure that I had all the experiences that any other child would have. When other children just took in things with their eyes and saw for themselves because I couldn't do that, my parents became my eyes.
You are quite an accomplished musician. But I've heard you say, in one of your videos that you were a reluctant musician, what's the story of your music?
My parents discovered from my early childhood that I could sing, my mother also sing. So it was natural that I also had this talent. But what happened is, many people have this conception that blind people think it's like a default thing. If you're blind, then you should be good at singing. I didn't score. Every music competition, they would choose me. And I was really privileged to go for those music competitions. But for me at that time, I used to think like this- why only music, because I really loved acting in plays at that time, I wanted to dance. I wanted to do everything else except music. And I never got the chance to do that. It was just music music music. So when you have too much of a thing, you move away from it. And at a point, music became my only over overshadowing identity. So Hannah became the girl who sings very well. And I didn't like that at all. That is why I moved away from music. I stopped learning music. And then in 6th grade, we had an environmental conservation program for which my friend and I composed a song about nature. That was the beginning of my journey, returning back to music. And in 7th grade, one year later, my father asked me this question, he asked me, Hannah ,you compose songs about mother nature, which is really good, but why don't you compose a song to praise Jesus who has loved you so much, all these years. And that's how my first song "Jesus by my side was born". And then I realized that this was what I was meant to do to become an instrument of God. And once you know that you are an instrument of God and you have to praise his name in the best way possible. So I decided to train my voice again. started taking music classes under a Radhika ma'am who runs an institute called the Soul of music. I did my Trinity College London, 8th grade exams in western classical and rock and pop. And right now, music is not my only identity, but music is a part of my identity.
How did you start going about doing this motivational speaking? What are the platforms where you speak? What do you speak about?
The journey to motivational speaking began with my music itself. So my first song "Jesus by my side" was chosen as one of the songs to be taught during the vacation bible school sessions of my church, the Jacobite Church. So in 7th, 8th and even 9th, I taught them three of my songs. I traveled to churches all across Kerala. And while I taught them, I also started sharing my story with them about how God has helped me so much and how he had made me grow so much and how he had told me that I was not different, but just special born to do something that only I can do in this world. So that is how it began. And then from there, I slowly started taking motivational sessions in schools and colleges. I recently had one session in Oliver blind school. And I also was invited to speak through online platforms to Christian communities outside India, in the Middle East and in Australia.
So now that you finished your 12th standard, and now you're looking towards college, so what are your immediate plans.
I got admission in a prestigious college in the US. It's the University of Notre Dame, it's really good for psychology. And I'm also planning to major in psychology, while also minoring in creative writing and music. And I also got a full scholarship from the university which covers my expenses, the cost of education, as well as my room and board. So that was a big miracle in our lives.
Colleges and universities in the US have a lot of facilities for students who are differently abled, so I think you will enjoy it.
Yeah, they've already made the textbooks accessible to me. They have contacted me, they have connected me to other students with visual impairment. They have made sure that I feel safe and secure and the university.
You know, we talked about your studies, we talked about your plans. So what is it that you do outside say, your studies, your music and your speaking? Is there any passion that you have which you use when you're alone that you pursue?
I mainly read other than the time I spend on studies. I read a lot and I'm an avid reader. I am a I'm a big book lover. Initially, my father used to tell me stories when I was a toddler. Then my parents started reading our books to me. And in 4th standard I learned how to read books on the computer, even before I learned to type fast in a Word document, I had learned how to read books years back because reading was so close to my heart and it was a necessity for me to learn to read books on my own. So in 4th standard, I got access to books. Initially, I use sites like gutenberg.org, which has books whose copyright law is expired. And for a long time till I think 11th grade ended, I was mainly reading books which were written during the period of the early 20th century. And that I really loved the books written during that period, especially books related to World War and all of that. And later on, I was introduced to other sites, including Bookshare. And now as a reader, I am in an exploratory stage. I'm reading everything.
So Hannah, very nice talking to you and wish you the very best as you travel to the US to further your academic career.
Thank you so much.
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