Rishabh Gupta is a 25-year-old entrepreneur from India who lives with the eye condition retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Following the launch of his memoir What I See Now, our editor Emma Purcell got the opportunity to interview Rishabh about his life with sight loss, and, despite his original denial, he has gone on to have a successful, fulfilling life, filled with confidence and humour.
Rishabh describes himself as “someone who loves food, music, business, new places, new people, and the strange, beautiful complexity of human beings”. He comes from Raipur in India, and professionally is involved in his family business.
“I enjoy brainstorming ideas, building things, solving problems, and sometimes deliberately putting myself in situations that make me uncomfortable, because that is usually where growth happens”, Rishabh continued.
“But beyond work, I think I am a deeply curious person. I love travelling, meeting people from different cultures, understanding how people think, and noticing the small emotional details that are often left unsaid. Singing is also a very important part of my life. For me, singing feels like meditation. It helps me come back to myself.”
He added: “I have always been interested in human behaviour, psychology, healing, habits, and the way people grow through difficult experiences. That curiosity has shaped the way I look at life, relationships, business, and my own journey.”
Rishabh Gupta on living with retinitis pigmentosa
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a group of inherited genetic eye conditions that cause the light-sensitive cells in the retina to gradually break down. This leads to permanent vision loss, typically starting with night blindness and tunnel vision, and progressing at different speeds depending on the specific genetic type.
Rishabh explained his journey to diagnosis, and how he has managed coming to terms with it and navigating life with sight loss.
“My diagnosis story is slightly unusual. In 2011, I was sitting in a doctor’s clinic when my elder brother, who is two years older than me, was being diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa. As the doctor explained the symptoms, I remember quietly realising that he was also describing me. At that time, the doctors had not clearly detected it in me, but somewhere inside, I knew I was going through the same thing.
“The strange part is that after understanding it, I did not really tell people for almost ten years. I carried it quietly and fought it alone. At that age, I did not fully understand the emotional weight of it. I had this strong belief that I was a fighter and that I could survive anything. In many ways, that belief helped me. But in other ways, it also became painful, because I kept surviving without realising what that survival was doing to me.
“For almost ten years, I managed life with reducing vision — not being able to read properly, not recognising people, struggling with simple everyday things, and still trying to appear normal. I was functioning, but I was not fully living. I was surviving, but I was not really thriving.
“The deeper realisation came much later. I understood that while I was fighting sight loss, I had slowly lost touch with many parts of myself — the person who loved meeting people, trying new things, being in the spotlight, laughing freely, singing, travelling, and experiencing life fully. It felt like a boy who was full of colours had slowly moved into black and white.
“Coming to terms with RP has not been one perfect moment of acceptance. It has been a gradual process of becoming honest with myself. Over the last few years, I have become much more comfortable speaking about it, going to places, asking for help, and allowing people to know this part of me without shame.”
Read: Seable Holidays: Making The World More Accessible For Blind And Partially Sighted Travellers
Perspectives on accessibility, inclusion and communication with a visual impairment
Rishabh believes accessibility should be discussed honestly while recognising that no country has achieved perfection. He points to positive progress in India, with growing awareness, improved services and more opportunities for disabled people to study, work, travel, play sport and build successful careers.
However, he argues that accessibility extends far beyond physical infrastructure. Instead, it is rooted in dignity, respect and understanding. He also believes creating a more inclusive society is a shared responsibility, requiring both greater public awareness and active participation from disabled people in shaping conversations about access and inclusion.
As he explained: “I do feel that one of the biggest challenges in India is not only infrastructure. It is perception. Sometimes, if you have a disability, people either treat you as less human or more human. Either they assume you cannot do basic things, or they assume you have some special sixth sense. Both come from a lack of understanding. The truth is much simpler: we are just human beings with different ways of navigating the world.
“For me, accessibility is not only about ramps, roads, signs, apps, or buildings. It is also about dignity. It is about whether a person can ask for help without feeling small. It is about whether people know how to help without overhelping. It is about whether society can make space for disabled people without turning them into objects of pity or inspiration.”
Rishabh explained his early career and startup journey involved trying to work like everyone else rather than finding approaches that suited him, leading to setbacks and valuable lessons. Over time, he realised accessibility is often about designing better systems and adapting the way he works. Rather than viewing visual impairment as a barrier to success, he sees challenges as opportunities to rethink processes, embrace technology and communicate more effectively.
This mindset has shaped his work as an entrepreneur, author and speaker, helping him build practical solutions that improve both productivity and inclusion.
He said: “Today, I try to design my work around my reality. Whether it is business, meetings, planning, communication, or speaking opportunities, I keep improving the way I operate. I use technology where it helps, support where it is needed, and systems wherever possible.
“For me, the actual work is not the main challenge. The bigger challenge is the extra layer of effort that comes with visual impairment. Business involves documents, numbers, travel, presentations, meeting new people, reading the room, and understanding what is happening beyond words. These are the invisible parts that people do not always notice.”
He continued: “One thing I still miss is body language. In meetings, a lot is communicated through facial expressions, eye contact, gestures, posture, or even silence. I do not always receive those visual cues in the same way. That can be difficult because business is not only about what people say; it is also about what they hesitate to say.
“But over time, I have learned to compensate in my own way. I listen more carefully. I notice tone, pauses, hesitation, warmth, discomfort, confidence, and the overall energy of a conversation. I ask clearer questions and try to create a space where people feel comfortable being direct. In some ways, visual impairment has made me a more intentional communicator. ”
One thing Rishabh wishes people understood about visual impairment is that it is not always simple or black and white.
“I may be able to see something close to me, but not recognise a person standing a few feet away”, he said. “I may move confidently in one place and feel completely lost in another. Lighting, distance, contrast, crowd, speed, fatigue, and stress can all affect how much I can understand visually.”
“That is why people sometimes get confused. They may think, ‘But he did this yesterday, so why does he need help today?’ What they do not realise is that visual impairment is not always consistent. It changes with the environment.”
Rishabh believes asking for help should be recognised as a practical part of independence rather than a sign of helplessness. He also wants people to move beyond viewing disability through pity or inspiration, stressing that disabled people are neither extraordinary nor broken, but simply individuals deserving of equal respect and understanding.
He added: “So if I could ask for one thing, it would be this: see the person first. Not the cane, not the condition, not the difficulty, and not just the inspiring part. See the whole person — with their humour, ambition, flaws, desires, confusion, confidence, and ordinary human complexity.”
Rishabh says humour is a natural part of his personality and writing, allowing him to balance lightness with serious topics. Rather than diminishing difficult experiences, he believes humour makes conversations about disability more approachable, helping to break down discomfort and create genuine understanding between people.
“I think humour does three things for me. First, it helps me tell the truth without making it too heavy. Some experiences are painful, awkward, or embarrassing, but when humour enters, people can listen without feeling overwhelmed.
“Second, humour protects me. It gives me some breathing space from the seriousness of my own situation. It reminds me that I am not only someone going through something difficult; I am also someone who can laugh, observe, exaggerate, and turn a moment into a story.
“Third, humour makes other people comfortable. It allows them to ask, understand, and come closer without feeling like they are walking on emotional glass.”
Read: Navigating Adoption And Parenthood With A Visual Impairment
Why no one should face sight loss alone
Rishabh’s memoir is an honest exploration of identity, resilience and self-acceptance, offering a thought-provoking reflection on living with sight loss and uncertainty.
As a first-time author, Rishabh says publishing has deepened his understanding of accessibility. Drawing on his own experience using Kindle with VoiceOver, he ensured What I See Now was available as an eBook and in large print to reach more readers. Following feedback, he is now working on an audiobook and has also applied for a Braille edition, reflecting his commitment to making the book as accessible as possible.
Rishabh said: “For me, this matters deeply because a book about sight loss should not become another thing that visually impaired readers cannot access. If the book is about inclusion, honesty, and lived experience, then the format also has to respect that.
“Along with the book, I have also started sharing some of these realisations through Instagram reels and Facebook. The book is essentially a collection of very human realisations — about sight loss, confidence, humour, shame, acceptance, and life — so I want people to experience those ideas in different ways. Some may read the book, some may listen to a reel, and some may connect with a short reflection online. The medium can change, but the intention remains the same: to make the thought accessible, relatable, and useful.”
Rishabh finished by sharing a message for people newly diagnosed with visual impairment, encouraging compassion before advice. Reflecting on his own experience, Rishabh said he needed reassurance rather than being expected to appear strong or inspirational, reminding others that sight loss does not diminish their worth or future.
“I would also tell them not to feel guilty for the space they take up. Asking for help does not make you a burden. Taking time to adjust does not make you weak. Feeling angry, scared, confused, or tired does not make you negative. It makes you human.
“Most importantly, I would tell them not to fight alone. For many years, I thought I had to survive everything by myself. But now I understand that visual impairment is not a solo fight. It is a team game. You need family, friends, tools, mentors, community, and sometimes strangers who are willing to help.
“You are much more than your visual impairment. It may change the way you move through the world, but it does not have to take away your personality, dreams, humour, ambition, relationships, or right to live fully.”
You can purchase the book What I See Now on Amazon and follow Rishabh Gupta on Instagram.
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