In a story that exemplifies resilience and determination, Daniel Pamphile, a visually impaired student at Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, is pursuing animation and graphic design studies.
Despite the challenges posed by his visual impairment, Daniel has found ways to adapt and thrive in a field where vision is critical, inspiring others in similar situations to pursue their dreams.
Daniel’s love for animation started early, driven by his passion for cartoons.
“I’m studying animation and graphic design at Sir Arthur purely by chance,” he explained to St. Lucia Times. “However, I was still going to pursue animation as a hobby, side hustle because I’ve wanted to create cartoons and animated films, and that stems from my love for animated media such as Western cartoons and Japanese animated cartoons,” he said.
The biggest challenge for Daniel has been handling colors, a significant hurdle given his partial color blindness. But instead of letting this deter him, he developed a unique workaround. “Seeing as I’m partially colour blind, I still run into issues with colors,” he explained. “However, I have rectified this issue by making a colour list with the respective Hex Code…for each colour.”
Although he still needs to develop a defined career path, Daniel envisions creating comics and animated projects.
His advice for others interested in pursuing creative fields is straightforward and powerful: “Try it out and see where it goes. If it’s something that truly motivates and inspires you, then pursue it with all your might.”
A key source of support for Daniel has been the Saint Lucia Blind Welfare Association (SLBWA), whose Executive Director, Anthony Avril, is proud of Daniel’s achievements.
The SLBWA has been a longtime advocate for the visually impaired in Saint Lucia, providing resources and pushing for inclusion.
“The association mandate is to look after the interest of persons living with blindness,” Avril explained.
Reflecting on SLBWA’s history, Avril shares, “In 1986 was when we started mainstream education for people with blindness in Saint Lucia,” the SLBWA official recalled.
“Before that, they were sent to Santa Cruz School in Trinidad.”
Avril and the SLBWA team see Daniel as an example of what is possible when support and encouragement meet determination.
“Kudos to Daniel for his achievement, and even if that wasn’t his first choice, which was architectural engineering, one has to give it to him,” Avril told St. Lucia Times.
“Young people want to pursue a certain path, and if it’s not given to them, they give up but not him. We will continue to support him and we wish him well.”
Avril hopes stories like Daniel’s inspire broader societal support for visually impaired individuals and greater inclusion efforts across Saint Lucia.
“We support inclusion in a major way and we believe the children should be given the necessary accommodation and they need to be given the opportunity to contribute to society,” he explained. “Daniel’s story will not only be impacting persons in his same situation but everyone who has heard his story.”
Despite the progress the SLBWA has made in promoting accessibility, Avril stressed that much work still needs to be done. “We have come a very long way, but we still have a long way to go. Blindness has baffled people for thousands of years,” he noted. “We need a greater understanding of the visually impaired. We need to grow as persons. That’s why we are involved in many initiatives to ensure that there is an environment supported by legislation, providing the accommodation the society needs.”
In the face of these challenges, Avril remains hopeful. “We have come a long way but we need to continue and maximise the achievement to go to the next level. The association is doing the best we can within the constraints, but there is a need for more, even from us. The association’s dream is to do more from within.”
