We strive to build life-long relationships with the community of persons with visual impairment and we are committed to creating opportunities for them to thrive in the growing digital economy.
Our story
We have established a support website to help you understand the importance of providing visually impaired people with access to information at their fingertips for educational purposes and simple daily tasks. We want you to stay in-the-know about employment opportunities designed to fit the way of life of visually impaired professionals. We want you to experience the value of having access to a support network for visually impaired people.
Our mission
The primary objective of this initiative is “to educate persons with visual impairment about the various technologies and associations available to them upon diagnosis. The intention is to create a package that will serve as a guide for inexperienced blinded individuals and their families so that they can learn how to quickly and effectively adjust to blindness.
Our history
The Blind Way Forward initiative started in 2015 and was an awardee of the 2015 Lumination Challenge sponsored by the Ministry of Planning and Sustainable Development. The Blind Way Forward documentary has been screened at the Carifesta XIII Festival in Barbados, 2017 and premiered on TTT with broadcasts in July and August, 2019.
Our team
Our team comprises people with and without visual impairments, and together we hope to foster greater public awareness and family support when it comes to knowing how to interact respectfully with a visually impaired person.
Marlon Parieaho
CEO and Founder
Marlon is a Corporal attached to the Social Intervention and Research Department of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, and is the country’s only blind police officer. He enjoys a range of sports, including martial arts and powerlifting, and regularly posts in his entertaining and informative online blog, The Blind Way Forward. He is a determined advocate for the inclusion of persons with visual impairment into the workplace.
Asenath McEwen
Co-founder/Business Development
Asenath is a “self advocate” who has been lobbying for the advancement of persons with visual impairment, and the community of persons with disabilities in Trinidad and Tobago for over a decade. She is currently the 2nd Vice President of Persons Associated with Visual Impairment (PAVI). Her qualifications include a Bachelor of Business Administration BBA Marketing and a range of business and leadership training, including project management. She is passionate about assisting persons with disabilities gain a great level of independence.
Shawn Melville
Co-founder /Chief Technology Officer
Shawn Melville is the Managing Director of Ipsum Technologies which is a social enterprise that is focused on creating opportunities for persons with disabilities to thrive in the growing digital economy. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s degree in Renewable Energy Technology and is passionate about addressing sustainable development issues facing the Caribbean and Latin America. His interest in the Blind Way Forward project stems from his belief that everyone should be free to achieve their full potential and to live a fulfilling, purpose-driven life.
