“A beautiful light of hope”: How gifts in Wills left to RNIB have helped Amrit build a life she loves 

Amrit, a South Asian woman from London, began losing her sight at the age of five due to glaucoma. Her sight deteriorated gradually, and today, she is totally blind with only faint light perception in one eye.

Despite the challenges, Amrit lives a full and joyful life with her husband and two teenage children. She’s an artist who creates with gemstones, a singer, a dancer, and in 2023, she proudly won the People’s Choice Award at the Westminster Dance Competition. She’s also a passionate disability advocate, public speaker, podcast collaborator, and volunteer, sharing her experiences in both Punjabi and English to raise awareness and support others living with sight loss.

Amrit’s incredible success has in part been made possible through the life changing support she has received from RNIB. Support that was made available thanks to the generosity of those who have left a gift to the charity in their Will.

But her journey hasn’t been easy.

As a young child, Amrit’s condition left her feeling “very lonely, restricted and isolated.” She remembers being excluded from activities like board games and colouring – things she loved. “Instead, I was simply told that because you cannot see you cannot take part… I wish back then I had known that the RNIB shop sold tactile board games, colouring books and scented pens.”

Amrit first heard about RNIB when she was 13, through a social worker. “Looking back now I believe that in that moment a beautiful light of hope switched on in me and my limited life as a blind teenager.” The books she was introduced to were a revelation – a reminder that the world of reading wasn’t closed to her. “I recall boasting to everyone about the RNIB and the audiobook service… My family especially were thrilled for me.” 

Since then, RNIB has become a lifelong source of support. “There is not a service that I have not used or that has not contributed to making my sight loss journey easier and lighter.” From support with growing technology and gaining her independence in the kitchen, every step has mattered. Amrit explained that through the RNIB support designed specifically with blind people in mind, “It has changed mine and my family's life for the better.”

Over the years, RNIB has also supported Amrit into employment and volunteering. After years of struggling with inaccessible job applications and low confidence, she was referred to the RNIB employment service. “They helped me to believe in myself, see the strengths and abilities I had to offer an employer,” she says. “As a result, I was thrilled to have secured my first ever paid role as a research assistant with the RNIB.”

The impact of this support has gone far beyond work – from choir singing and abseiling to theatre trips and visiting Buckingham Palace, she’s embraced new adventures and friendships. 

Amrit now works as a public speaker and disability advocate, collaborating with charities, councils and podcasts to raise awareness and uplift others. “When I am given the opportunity to speak in front of an audience, I feel heard, seen and valued.”

She also understands just how vital donations from people’s Wills are to the support the charity can deliver – and what a difference this can make. “I know that gifts in Wills account for a third of RNIB’s income and allow them to carry out vital work. Knowing this fills me with immense hope that I and other blind people can continue to rely on receiving essential help.”

“To me the RNIB is my loyal and trusted best friend, supporter, guiding hand and there when I need them the most. They stand by their promise to make a positive difference and have never let me down when I have reached out to them in difficult times.”

And to those who’ve already donated in this way, she says: “Your gift means that I can live a fulfilled life I want without sight. Your generosity lifts a heavy weight from me and from those around me who wish to help but are at a loss how to.”