For blind Kenyan lawyer, disability is not an inability

NAIROBI, KENYA - JANUARY 12: Julius Mbura, a 29-year-old visually challenged lawyer, leaves his apartment in Ongata Rongai, a town in Kenya’s Kajiado County located south of the capital Nairobi. Accompanied by his wife, he opens the door to his Subaru Forester. But before he enters the car, he folds a white cane that he uses every day to navigate around his neighborhood, work, or wherever he may be. Since becoming blind back in 2010, Mbura says his disability has never affected him or limited his ability to achieve his goals. He takes a seat, fastens his seatbelt and asks his wife whether she has fastened hers. Mbura grips the steering wheel with his left hand, starts the car with right hand, and before long, the sound of him revving the engine fills the air as the car roars to life. With the help of his wife, who serves as his eyes, he is able to drive to the shopping center and back. “I can’t drive on busy roads where there are a lot of cars, but I can drive very well. In the estates or roads which have little to no traffic, I love driving so much, and despite being blind, I made sure that I learnt how to drive. This made me learn so much about cars,” he said. When he was young, Mbura fell into a state of depression as he began accepting his condition, but he quickly recovered and focused on his education and passion for success in life. His condition did not stop him from going to law school, and he completed his studies and now helps represent visually impaired people. Mbura, who was diagnosed with a condition called retinitis pigmentosa, became permanently blind at the age of 10. But with a love for cars, he continued learning about them by touching them. (Footage by Andrew Wasike/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)