Inclusion on track

A publisher-turned-writer’s debut book on a visually-challenged girl taking up sports spreads the message that we rise together

In writer Upasana Makati’s debut book, the protagonist Saba lives in a world where her parents, brother and best friend believe that like any other 10-year-old, she, too, should take part in an upcoming race. That she can’t see is no big deal; her brother will train her, best friend will guide her, classmates will cheer her on, and all that matters is her belief in herself to try new things. It’s a universe we long to live in, and Makati, founder and publisher of the lifestyle Braille magazine, White Print, hopes the children’s title, Run Saba, Run! (White Print) helps to flag off this conversation.

Upasana Makati

The book, illustrated by Subodhini Lakhi, makes for a fun, sensitive read that touches upon different aspects of people with blindness taking up sports, and relays the fact that there’s more to winning than finishing first. “Like everything else that I have done so far, writing the book was an instinctive decision that I took last year in September. I knew I had so much to say and my own experiences with people with blindness would reflect in the story,” shares Makati. As she started thinking about it, she realised that sports wasn’t something that had been written about much. “I wanted to write a playful story and portray the fact that people with blindness can do just about anything; it’s just that we haven’t opened up our minds to it,” she adds.

Makati says that she longs to tap into children’s and parents’ curiosity with the story, and encourage them to learn more about girls like Saba. “There is never any imposition on the reader to notice what she cannot do; there are subtle hints - for example, Saba’s relation with her walking stick that she names Ira, or the idea of counting steps - for kids to know that it’s different but that it’s just another way of living life,” she signs off.

A lesson in self-belief

Aarohi Darekar

When Mulund resident Meenakshi Darekar read the story with her daughter Aarohi, who’s touching seven, the latter enjoyed the visuals and learning about Saba. “She connected with the fact that Saba trusted in herself and her friend. Her big takeaway from the story was that you can do anything if you set your heart on it,” she added.

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