A CHAMPION FOR INCLUSION

MELBOURNE-BASED DISABILITY ADVOCATE KARAN NAGRANI MAY NOT HAVE HIS SIGHT, BUT HE DOES HAVE A VISION - TO CHANGE HOW THE WORLD PERCEIVES THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED. HE SPEAKS TO TINA THAKRAR ABOUT HIS UNIQUE APPROACH TO BRINGING ABOUT SOCIAL CHANGE

- TINA THAKRAR

He calls himself 'That Blind Guy', mainly because that's how people referred to him for a long time. But today, he’s Karan Nagrani - an Australia-based disability advocate, keynote speaker, pride ambassador, graphic designer, content creator and all-around cheerleader for the blind and queer communities.

Born and raised in India, Karan was diagnosed with Usher Syndrome, a degenerative and incurable condition that can lead to complete blindness and hearing loss, at 11 years old. At 38 today, his field of sight has narrowed to only about 3% - which is almost like looking through a straw - he has no night or peripheral vision, and expects to be completely blind in the next three years. But knowing what's coming hasn't deterred him from advocating for a more inclusive and cognizant society for disabled people.

In the land down under, Karan is somewhat of a local celebrity. His disability advocacy has received extensive media attention in the news, as well as TV and radio shows and podcasts. He's given talks about creating accessible and inclusive workplaces at companies like Canva, Water Corporation and AMS, marched alongside members of the LGBTQIA+ community as the Disability Ambassador for the Chillout Festival, Midsumma Festival and Darwin Pride, created community engagement programs for Guide Dogs Australia, and been nominated for the Blind Australian of the Year in 2022.