Visually-impaired Iranian woman on solo world tour to raise awareness about people with special needs

Jammu, Feb 23 (PTI) On a solo world tour to raise awareness about people with special needs, a 22-year-old visually-impaired woman from Iran is heading for Kashmir after recently entering India from Pakistan through the Wagah border.

Darya, who started her journey from Armenia in December 2021, said she wants to prove and show to the world that disability is not an obstacle in fulfilling one’s dreams.

“I believe disability is a special ability, a gift from God and the world should explore our special ability so that we can use our abilities in the best way for the betterment of this world,” Darya, whose real name is Muneera Sadat Hussain, told PTI here.

Darya, as she wants to be called, is an Urdu word which means river and its character to flowing freely. She said she lived independently for five years in her city of Isfahan in central Iran where she used to work as a language teacher, translator and motivational counselor.

“I was listening to a programme on the world disability day when the idea struck my mind to do something for the people having special needs I packed my bag, surprised by my parents with my decision and started my solo journey from Armenia where I spent three months,” she said.

Darya said she is part of the specially-abled family across the world so that family is always with her even though she might be travelling solo.

“People assume that because we are specially-abled, we need someone to help us in everything. I am trying to prove that wrong. If I fall down, everyone worries that Oh Darya has fallen. No, it is normal. Falling and then getting up is very normal,” she said.

She said travelling is not just about exploring new places, but also about meeting new people and learning from their experiences. “Everyone has a story to tell, and by listening to these stories, we can gain a deeper understanding of the world around us.”

She hopes that her journey will inspire others to follow their dreams, regardless of their disabilities.

She said she is anguished by the loss of human lives in wars and other conflicts in different parts of the world. There should be no reason for people to hate each other, and that would make this world a better place to live in, she said.

“I have been to several countries including Iraq, Turkey and Pakistan. I saw all these countries are safe and their people are highly hospitable and amazingly kind,” Darya said. She said she did not have to pay a penny from her pocket for the entire month-long stay in Pakistan as people did not let her pay for anything.

She said her message to everyone is “never forget humanity and kindness”.

“Let us be like a family. I am meeting people with special needs to extend my family across the world and we will come together and share knowledge and ideas for a better tomorrow,” she said.

“Now, I am in India after crossing the border on February 13 and hope to receive the same hospitality as people in Pakistan talked about the country and its people. I have found a lot of contacts and am hopeful of finding more in India as well,” she said.

Darya said her next stop is Kashmir, her “dream destination”. “I want to explore the life in Dal Lake, the tradition, culture and cuisine of Kashmir and its hospitality.”

In addition to her travels, Darya is also passionate about learning new languages, as she believes they are key to understanding different cultures and building meaningful relationships with people from around the world.