‘I just don’t see’, says blind woman who graduated in journalism

Last Monday (12) was a very important day for Nathalia Santos, 25 years old. Visually impaired since birth, she graduated in journalism at ESPM in Rio de Janeiro. “ANDI couldn’t believe that my dream was coming true after so many obstacles, so many stones on the way, so many steps climbed one by one, without a shortcut, without excuses, without running away from every pain, every tear, every indignation, every fight that I had to go through these years until I arrived yesterday”, he posted on his Instagram.

One of these struggles was in relation to the adaptation of the faculty itself, which, when she started the course, did not have adequate material, tactile flooring, Braille in the elevator. “There wasn’t a semester when I didn’t go complain to the coordination about something. But I was introducing them to the technologies [como scanner de digitalização e leitura] and they adjusted. Each term was a new beginning, new teachers, some of whom didn’t understand very well. I had a lot of cooperation from my colleagues”, said Nathalia to CLAUDIA.

When her father’s work schedule, a fireman, did not allow him to drive her to college, Nathalia would take two buses to get there. “There is no adapted public transport, the pavement is bad, there is a bank in the middle of the road. When necessary, she would stand and wait with her cane until someone came to ask. I am not ashamed to ask for help.”

Nathalia, who attended the last two years at night, says she believes a lot in people’s collaboration. “I was born and raised in a favela. It was only possible because I got a full scholarship. I’ve always had a lot of willpower, but it wouldn’t have done anything if I hadn’t had the chance.”

She has retinitis pigmentosa without pigment, a disease that causes retinal degeneration, and became completely blind at age 15, when she preserved about 20% of her vision and could see distorted figures and contours. Participating in the program “Esquenta”, presented by Regina Casé on Globo, Nathalia has a YouTube channel, “Como so, blind?”. She is also a trainee at a multinational company, where she works in the business area _she took a technical course in administration (singer Anitta was her schoolmate). “They stopped hiring me because I was blind.”

Nathalia, who has two brothers, says that the disabled have evolved more than society. “We already understand who we are, that we have the support of technology to meet our difficulties. Society, no. All blame the government. But the establishment does not belong to the government”, she comments, citing that she pays her own bill at the restaurant, but needs someone to read the menu, since it does not have a braille version. “It’s complicated. When we talk, we are victims. When he doesn’t speak, he’s fearful.”

The now trained journalist has already started sending resumes to try for a vacancy in the area in which she graduated. 🇧🇷THERE WILL BE A WOMAN, BLACK, FAVELATED, BLIND AND A JOURNALIST YES!”, he wrote on his social network. “I come from a place where merit is not enough, you need opportunity.”

What would you like to say to potential contractors? “I like to quote that song from Fenders [“Óculos“]🇧🇷 Behind that cane is a nice girl. I prepared myself, I trust my ability, but it’s no use if someone doesn’t trust me too. So I would say: ‘Believe in my ability, see me beyond my disability. I just don’t see it.”

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