How fully visually impaired swimmer bagged 3 gold medals & scored 94 pc in SSC

Siddhi Dhirendra Dalvi a Kalyan resident who has been 100 per cent visually impaired since birth not only secured three gold medals at the 23rd National Para Swimming Championships 2024 in March but also emerged second in her school in the SSC board exam scoring 9420 per cent Siddhirsquos dedication and perseverance allowed her to continue training for the championship while preparing for the examNow she aims to represent India on the global stage in paraswimming while advancing her education Siddhi plans to pursue a commerce degree and continue enhancing her computer skills simultaneouslyNationallevel para swimming champ and topper Siddhi Dalvi at her Gholap Nagar residence in Kalyan on May 31ldquoSiddhi is the only visually impaired Marathimedium student who took her exam on a laptoprdquo said Pratiksha Dalvi Siddhirsquos mother ldquoWe are thankful to J L Patil the principal of Saraswati Mandir School in Kalyan who was very helpful and supportive He was instrumental in securing permission for Siddhi to use a laptop during her board exams breaking down barriers and fostering an inclusive educational environment Therersquos a GR that allows visually challenged students to appear for exams with the help of a computerlaptop and a readerrdquo she addedInitial challengesPratiksha said ldquoSiddhi has been visually impaired since birth just like her elder brother Prathamesh 25 who works for an NGO We had to learn and teach her where everything was kept at home as well as the activities of daily living when she was growing up We got associated with the National Association for the Blind NAB and a teacher would come home to teach us so we could help our children To understand their difficulties I would close my eyes and try to navigate our home then teach them accordingly In the next phase getting school admission was another big hurdle An official from Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation KDMC helped us get admission for Prathamesh at Saraswati Mandir School and later Siddhi also got admitted there When Siddhi reached higher grades we started realising other challenges Braille for example has only alphabets and no diagrams or drawings It was all trial and error for usrdquo Pratiksha saidSiddhi Dalvirsquos enviable collection of the para swimming medalsldquoIn Std V Siddhi joined St Xavierrsquos Collegersquos XRCVC Xavierrsquos Resource Centre for the Visually Challenged for training This was apart from her school We travelled to CST from Kalyan for this It was very fruitful as her learning capacity and understanding improved significantly She received essential coaching and guidance which played a crucial role in enhancing her skillsrdquo Pratiksha sharedldquoSiddhi learnt many new things at the centre and started using a laptop all the time and her calculation speed increasedrdquo the Dalvis said highlighting the importance of inclusive education policiesTech supportldquoThe GR by the Maharashtra government was vital in obtaining the necessary permissions for Siddhi to take her exams using a computer During COVID19 while other children started with online classrooms Siddhi faced difficulties She began using laptops extensively for learning and was allowed to use one in school after the pandemic This practice was a turning point in her board exam where she appeared for the exam using a laptoprdquo they statedldquoSiddhi is a nationallevel swimmer representing Maharashtra and won three gold medals last October and again this year at the 23rd National Para Swimming Championship 2024 in Gwaliorrdquo Pratiksha proudly statedldquoFor over a year Siddhi followed a stringent schedule balancing her studies and swimming practice Every day she woke up at 4 am to study never missed her swimming practice and ended her day at 10 pmrdquo she saidSiddhi shared her thoughts with a bright smile ldquoMy parents played a critical role in whatever I am today providing constant encouragement and empowering me to achieve independence in reading and writing My hard work along with the support of those around me has paid off This gives me the strength to keep going I plan to opt for commerce in junior collegerdquolsquoPowerful testamentrsquoDr Sam Taraporewala executive director XRCVC remarked ldquoSiddhirsquos story is a powerful testament to the strength of collaboration resilience and determination It underscores the critical importance of creating inclusive educational environments and the profound impact of support from individuals organisations and governmental initiatives Siddhi has been associated with XRCVC for the past 10 years She is very focused and knows what she wants there is absolute clarity of thought She is the first student from the SSC in Maharashtra to appear for exams on a laptoprdquoHe added ldquoOur efforts have focused on creating an environment where these students can be independent even while appearing for exams We advocate for providing mainstream education to all instead of creating separate infrastructure Siddhi and students like her set an example of how inclusive and mainstream education is the need of the hourrdquoAs part of her preparation to travel independently to college Siddhi is now focusing on mobility training with the help of XRCVC Her parents believe this will help her gain the independence she needs for her future endeavours10 YRSTime Siddhi has been associated with XRCVC