Meet Hannah Alice Simon, a visually impaired YouTuber From Kochi Who Topped CBSE Class 12 Board Exam
Hannah Alice Simona YouTuber, a singer and, since Friday, a CBSE Class XII topper. Hannah Alice Simon, a Kochi resident with microphthalmia, a condition that causes blindness, topped the category of students with disabilities, scoring 496 out of 500.
About Hannah
Hannah is a motivational speaker, singer, and YouTuber in addition to being a topper. On July 15, she also released a book called ‘Welcome Home,’ which contains six short stories about six young girls.
Hanna said “Generally, when a child is born with a disability, parents treat them with kid gloves. But in my house, I got the same responsibility and treatment as my younger brothers. They even enrolled in a regular school, not a blind school,”
“That had its own challenges. I was bullied when I was young and other students kept me at a distance. But I knew I would face these challenges in my life, so facing them from early childhood has made me strong to face the bigger challenges of life,” said Hannah Alice Simon
As she grew older, bullying was no more a significant problem. “Students wouldn’t bully but wouldn’t interact much, teachers would try to cushion me like saving me a seat at events, asking me not to run, even the excessive care felt oppressive. I was always different from most people,” she says.
Hannah Alice Simon- Class 12 Result
In terms of academics as well, there were many challenges for the student who scored a full 100 in psychology, sociology and economics, 99 in politics, and 97 in English.
“Initially I didn’t have access to pdf format textbooks. Later, when I received them, there were errors and mistakes. My main problem was studying maths, especially geometry since there were no tactile devices to understand shapes. Teachers usually do sums on the board and I find it difficult to follow. But they can’t give me special attention. But they really tried hard to make me comfortable, like in social sciences, instead of a map-based question they would give me something else and several such instances,” she says.
Though difficult at first, she says her parents’ decision to enrol her in a regular school was the best one for her.
Her father, Simon, a legal manager in a private firm, explains why. “When we enquired about blind schools, we realised she could study there only till Class X. But we didn’t want her to drop out later. My wife, Lija, learnt Braille herself and taught Hannah,” he said.
Hannah’s teachers and principal call her exceptionally talented. “My own child is hearing impaired and studied here. As far as Hannah goes, she is not just good at academics. She is a gifted singer, a great orator, writes wonderfully and has in fact released a book. She is extremely composed and confident for someone her age,” says Saji Varghese, principal, Rajagiri Christu Jayanthi Public School.
A student of music, Hannah has completed her Grade 8 from Trinity College London in western classical and rock and pop. Liked this post? Don’t forget to check out our other short stories in our Quick Read section.