Deen and Visa Pillay, a couple from Durban, negotiate life and marriage despite the fact that they are both blind.
Deen noted that he was born in Mayville, had his sight, and went to regular school until he was 15 years old.
Between 1976 and 1986, he gradually lost his vision and, as a result of an issue with his pupils, become largely blind. This made life difficult for him.
He relocated to Pietermaritzburg’s Arthur Blaxall School for the Blind. He attended Durban University of Technology to study shipping after high school, and at age 31 he entirely lost his sight.
“I had to become independent. I had to learn mobility and the surroundings of my house, and that is when I joined the KZN Blind and Deaf Society,” he said.
In 2009, he met Visa Pillay, the society’s fundraiser and marketing administrator.
My eyesight deteriorated at 13 years old,” said Visa.
A school visit by doctors led to a referral to King Edward VII Hospital, where she underwent two operations for a major cataract.
“I couldn’t go to school. I then went to St John’s Hospital in Johannesburg and they found that I had a retinal detachment. I spent four months in hospital – it was part of my childhood life,” she said.
“I finished school at Supreme College and studied through Damelin. The start of 2009 was a depressing time, but I had to continue. I had to learn to live in the dark world and adjust to cooking and crossing the road, and the Blind and Deaf Society helped me learn those skills,” she said.
That year the couple fell in love and married.
“It was a blind date,” said Deen with a chuckle. “I was volunteering when I met a beautiful woman and I fell in love. I found a job at a special school, and from day one I told the principal that I am a blind man here to lead the deaf. I always say this to encourage people,” he said.
He sings and dances at church and other gatherings.
“He is a beautiful singer,” said Visa.
The couple also work in different volunteer programmes, such as children’s homes, on weekends and public holidays.
“I use my work as a fundraiser at the society to uplift and motivate people. Some people lose their sight after an accident, and I tell them my story. I also show them how to navigate life in the dark using technology, and I also teach them braille,” she said.