About Us

Being blind, he came to Pune to quench his thirst for knowledge; he got admission in the school for blind at Koregaon Park. The school days were very cozy as the same was a boarding school where he could live and study. He secured high ranks in each of the standards and in SSC exams he scored 70% marks.

The real struggle started when he left his school and joined the college to continue his studies. The college admission was also much easier, being a high rank holder. The problems immediately started when he started to search for a shelter and continue his studies. He could not get Hostel admission in Pune due to his blindness. The fire of getting higher education in his heart was flaming. To quench this thirst, he therefore was forced to continue his studies by passing the nights totally unsecured on the Railway platforms. Many a times he spent sleepless nights, getting hit by the policeman’s sticks when in deep sleep.

In the initial stages he used to think, why do his blind brethren stay aloof from taking higher education? His own experience gave him the dreadful truth which totally discourages you to take even a step ahead towards the path of your goals. He thus came to the conclusion that the problems faced by Rahul Deshmukh are not the problem that is being faced by him alone. This is the problem that is being faced by each and every blind person who aspires to take up higher education. He then made up his mind and stated to himself ‘To overcome my problems, no one from outside world will come forward to solve them, it is I who should overcome my problems and make the life of my brethren much more better and see to it that they do not face the problems that are being faced by me.’ So, while in 12th standard, he called on his blind friends and collectively started an association for the blind “Snehankit Association for Non Seeing Friends” in year 1999.

People were not ready to believe him or his friends. Everyone just thought how can a blind small boy even think of the welfare of the handicapped, and what help he can render who himself is a Visually Challenged. He always felt that the basic problem faced by the blind is not their blindness, but the unawareness & mental blockage of the normal people. But he started taking many activities for the welfare of college going Visually Challenged students.

While doing his graduation he felt that in today’s competitive world, learning computers is the only way to empower Visually Challenged. Therefore, he started enquiring with the computer institutions which closed their doors for him. Not for him but for his blindness.

He took up this challenge and learnt computer from his normal friends with the help of screen reading software JAWS for windows and showed the world that even a blind can learn computers and then started the Computer Training Institute for the blind in Pune. The blind brethren were very much in doubt about their own abilities to handle the computer. Rahul kindled the fire in them and built up their confidence. Imparted the knowledge of today’s competitive world and the advancement of computer technology, and how it can help the blind to stand on their own legs without depending on others for their livelihood.

His efforts have started giving fruits; more than 550 blind students are passed out with Computer courses like MS-Office, MS-CIT, C, C++ etc. from this very institute and have excelled themselves in various fields like teaching, banking, government sector, corporate sector etc.

While working for blind students, many students with other disabilities like deaf, dumb, orthopedically challenged, cerebral palsy etc. started approaching Rahul & requesting not to keep this computer education & other facilities limited only for blind students. Hence to spread these facilities for all types of Physically Challenged Rahul established National Association For The Welfare of physically Challenged (NAWPC) in year 2008.

Rahul himself, through his innovative ideas started many projects like the Digital Library. In his school days, he had to depend on the visual people to read the books that he wanted. Now due to the Digital Library, without the help of the normal people, his blind brethren can read their favorite books that are available. This service is also totally free of cost. Now any blind students with the help of computer can read their books and need not depend on the other people. This is a great achievement.

Not only can they read their books, the digital library also recreates and entertains them, and helps his blind students to have in their overall development.

Rahul feel recreational needs of Physically Challenged are not given any attention; however they are equally important for the overall development of their personality. H started the recreation centre for the physically challenged, wherein all types of handicaps are treated equally, be it a deaf, dumb, or any person with any disability in part of his body and the Indoor & outdoor games are specially designed so that they can be easily played, enjoyed by all types of students.

With the continuous efforts of Rahul Pune city got a computer training center at NAWPC; exclusively for Physically Challenged which is giving computer education and making Physically Challenged computer expert to make them independent and self reliant.

He faced lots of financial problems while taking up higher education. His only wish is to ease the educational burden on his brethren and they and should not discontinue their studies, be it any reason. Therefore, he started the special scholarship distribution program for the physically challenged to give financial help as per the requirements of needy & bright students.

All these facilities are totally free of cost & more than 150 students are taking benefits of these facilities. Most of these students are from rural areas of Maharashtra & are staying in the Hostels of different parts of Pune City.