I'm blind and I'm not begging

Poonam Vaidya is a blind woman living in Bangalore.

People stare at her on the street. She doesn't know many other blind women as they tend to be hidden away. Everyone wants to tell her which way to go.

She is breaking stereotypes of blind women in India and believes attitudes need to change.

Read a video transcript here.

Hear more on being blind in India and Ethiopia on The Conversation from BBC World Service.