How about US$25,000 towards your entrepreneurial goal?
That’s the amazing cash prize you can win by entering the Holman Prize.
The global opportunity is now open for anyone who is blind or has low vision and has a unique idea to tackle.
This week on Talking Vision, host Stella Glorie speaks to one of three 2021 Holman Prize winners on the opportunity she has been able to plan thanks to the winnings.
Maud Rowell, 25, hopes to travel across Japan independently including visits to rural and remote areas, solely by foot and public transportation to write a book.
Photo: 2021 recipient of the Holman Prize, Maud Rowell.
While she was planning to make the trip last year, unfortunately the pandemic and closed borders have had to put a pause on that.
“It's a country I already had a pre-existing connection with… and I'd always known I wanted to go back because it was my undergraduate degree in Japanese,” she told Talking Vision.
“To kind of combine that with a kind of ambitious tribute to James Holman was just an absolute dream come true.”
The Holman Prize is named after James Holman, a 19th century blind explorer who was the most prolific private traveller of anyone, blind or sighted, before the era of modern transportation.
Holman was never able to make it to Japan in his lifetime because Japan was under a system of Sakoku, a kind of isolation, which made it very difficult for people to travel there.
Maud joins an esteemed list of prize recipients, including 2021’s Aaron Cannon, who will build accessible mathematics training modules, and Robert Malunda who will provide computer, orientation & mobility and social skills training to blind Zimbabweans in rural locations.
Listen to the full interview in the player below, and hear tips on creating a winning entry:
To apply, visit the Holman Prize website.
Talking Vision is a weekly discussion of issues relating to blindness and low vision.
It includes stories of inspiration and achievement and information on services for the community.
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