How 1700 Blind Travellers Explored 16 Destinations in India & Abroad

Dr Hitesh Prasad jokes that he joined the Thailand journey because he did not want his passport to expire without a stamp. But what he really wanted was to travel again.

Thirty years old, originally from Karnataka’s Mysuru district, Dr Hitesh is an MD in Preventive Medicine and Yoga, currently working as a medical consultant and assistant professor at Shri SBS Ayurvedic Medical College.

He is partially sighted and lost his vision in his late twenties, making him unable to see at night. 

“I have always loved travelling,” he says. “I used to drive and plan trips every year with friends.”

As his vision deteriorated, travel became complicated. Friends were supportive, but not always aware of what he needed, such as a description of a landscape, a warning before a step, or a cue in a crowded street. Over time, he stepped back from travelling.

Then came a WhatsApp message about a Thailand trip organised by Rising Star Khilte Chehre (RSKC). He hesitated for a moment and then signed up. What he found was not assistance, but agency and accessibility.

The turning point for Amit Jain

For nearly three decades, 50-year-old Amit Jain built a career in the travel industry. Corporate off-sites, international itineraries, logistics, and hospitality were daily tasks for the Delhi-based businessman. 

In 2019, during a personal trip with his daughter, he met a few visually impaired individuals and struck up a conversation. 

When they told him that they too wish to travel the world, but feel constricted by societal and infrastructural limitations, something clicked with Jain. 

“That realisation stayed with me,” Jain says. “If travel is freedom for some, why is it a limitation for others?”

Jain was moved to host and sponsor a trip to Pangot in Uttarakhand with his daughter and a group of blind youngsters.It was entirely self-funded. There was no NGO structure, no CSR backing, no sponsorship pipeline.

Later that year, Rising Star Khilte Chehre was formally registered.

Initially, his idea was met with scepticism. “I’ve heard people say, ‘Inke liye toh kya Dubai aur kya Delhi’ (What is the difference between Dubai and Delhi for blind people),” Jain recalls. “That mindset is exactly what we are here to change.”

Scaling access: From small journeys to a nationwide vision

Since 2019, RSKC has enabled more than 1,700 visually impaired participants to complete trips across 16 destinations such as Dubai, Rishikesh, Jim Corbett, Ayodhya, Goa, Mussoorie, Jaipur, and more.

The Thailand journey, completed from 11 to 15 February 2026, marked a major milestone. The organisation has also seen nearly 28 to 35 percent of participants return for more than one journey.

The non-profit claims to have 500 trained volunteers now forming its support network across India and partner countries. 

For 2026, the non-profit has an ambitious roadmap. They are aiming for five international trips and ten Pan-India journeys annually from this year onwards. International consultations are underway for Tashkent, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka. 

Domestically, RSKC is preparing a host of events like the North East India itinerary, a Himalayan exposure journey, and India Blind Fest, a national platform that will bring together blind professionals, entrepreneurs, artists, corporate leaders, policymakers, and volunteers.

Travel, confidence, and economic participation

Persons with disabilities in India continue to face significant socio-economic barriers. Limited access to education, mobility, and social networks often directly impacts employability and financial independence. This makes travel an specially expensive affair for many, further isolating them from experiencing the world. 

RSKC approaches travel as a tool to counter that isolation with dignity. 

Domestic trips typically carry a nominal participation fee ranging between Rs 500 and Rs 700. 

As Muskan Gupta, a former project manager at RSKC, explains, “The nominal fee is taken to avoid last-minute cancellations. It also ensures that our travellers don’t feel like a charity case and freely express their demands.”

For international journeys, participants contribute around 60 percent of the cost, while the remaining 40 per cent is supported by RSKC. 

The Thailand trip in February 2026 was priced at Rs 24,000,  significantly lower than standard market rates.

Lovely Sarkar, senior programmes manager at RSKC, says that they encourage travellers to practice independence while travelling by interacting with strangers and building peer networks. 

This approach is often appreciated by blind travellers who like to challenge themselves in foreign locations backed by a sense of safety. 

‘It was personality development’

Dr Hitesh describes the Thailand journey as transformative. 

“There were small difficulties, like navigating unfamiliar hotel rooms independently. But we should not depend on volunteers for everything. This trip was more than just tourism, it was personality development and leadership building. We were about 35 participants from across India. I didn’t know anybody before and by the end, it felt like family.”  

At viewpoints in Pattaya and Bangkok, volunteers described colours, distances, and architectural details.

“Even viewpoints, though they may not hold meaning visually, were described beautifully to us,” he says of the trip.

The group visited a blind school in Bangkok, comparing education systems and disability laws. At the Golden Buddha Temple, participants absorbed the stillness through sound and atmosphere. A cruise dinner ended in joyful group dancing.

Volunteers as co-travellers

RSKC avoids calling its volunteers “helpers”. They are referred to as co-travellers. “Many of them act as photographers, guides, and sometimes even comedians who diffuse tension when things get hard,” says Gupta.

All volunteers undergo orientation training before departure. The organisation aims to maintain a 4:1 traveller-to-volunteer ratio, shifting to 1:1 in crowded areas such as Chandni Chowk. 

Shlok Bang, 25, an advertising professional, volunteered during the Ayodhya tour. He initially signed up as a photographer but ended up doing and learning much more about accessibility. 

“I helped my co-travellers with things like accompanying them to the washroom, and even helping them find their shoes after we would step out of the religious sites,” he says. 

“I learned how much we take for granted, and was made aware of the glaring lack of infrastructural support for people with disabilities.”

Designing sensory tourism

Lovely Sarkar, senior programmes manager at RSKC, believes India is naturally suited for inclusive travel,  if designed thoughtfully.

“We are a deeply sensory country. Heritage is tactile. Streets are full of sound. Rituals are embodied. Food is memory, texture, and culture. India does not need to invent blind tourism. It needs to recognise the blind experience it already offers and then design it with seriousness,” she says.

Dr Hitesh frames it through his study of medicine and Ayurvedic philosophy.

“Modern medicine speaks of five senses, but Ayurveda describes eleven sensory faculties, including the mind. The mind itself perceives deeply. For visually impaired individuals, tactile sensation, sound, smell, and intuition become stronger. Travel becomes a sensory experience beyond sight.”

The organisation is now working on journeys that prioritise storytelling, tactile engagement, and slower, more immersive experiences.

Innovation amid unpredictability

Behind every RSKC journey lies months of invisible groundwork. International trips require managing a long list of logistics. 

Flying large volunteer teams abroad is costly, so the organisation partners with local blind associations, blind schools, tourism departments, and even hotel staff who step in as on-ground volunteers.

Accommodation checks are rigorous. Rooms are prioritised on the ground floor or near lifts, tactile paths and braille signage are verified, and if missing, temporary braille stickers are installed. Nearby hospitals are mapped in advance. “All this pre-planning takes time,” says Lovely Sarkar.

During an Agra trip with 52 blind travellers, Amit Jain secured special permission from the Archaeological Survey of India for fare waivers and CISF support, but such assistance is not always guaranteed. 

While on a trip to Ayodhya, the team had expected rainfall but was met with heat and humidity instead. Over that, their buses stopped some distance away from the temple. They improvised by negotiating with the police and arranging phased transfers in golf cart–style vehicles.

For RSKC, inclusion means anticipating obstacles and adapting swiftly when plans change.

How to be part of the journey

RSKC’s expansion depends on community involvement.

To volunteer: Individuals can apply through the organisation’s website and must attend mandatory orientation training before joining a journey.

To donate: Contributions directly support accessible journey planning, participant sponsorships, volunteer preparation, and sustained community initiatives.

Razorpay:https://razorpay.me/@risingstarkhiltechehre

Bank details:
A/c Name – Rising Star Khilte Chehre
HDFC Bank (Current A/C)
A/c No. 50200040056914
IFSC Code – HDFC0001261
Branch – B34 Ashok Vihar-1, Delhi-52

Beyond the stamp

For Dr Hitesh, Thailand was not merely a destination. It proved that blindness does not limit the world, instead, inaccessible systems and narrow attitudes do. 

While India is advancing in accessibility, he believes grassroots awareness must deepen. Tactile paths cannot remain blocked, heritage sites need meaningful audio descriptions and QR guides, and tourist guides require professional training to narrate beyond sight.

He returned home with more than a stamped passport. He carried the certainty that movement, leadership, and independence are shaped not by sight alone but by opportunity, and that when assumption gives way to access, courage can carry you anywhere.

Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: thebetterindia.com