Phạm Thị Thanh Vân, a courageous woman from the Blind Association of Da Nang City, is a living example of resilience and determination. She was born healthy, but at the age of 14, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor that affected her optic nerve, gradually causing her to lose her sight. Despite her vision being reduced to 1/10, she refused to let blindness define her future.
After finishing high school, she joined the Blind Association of Lien Chieu District, Da Nang, where she found support and encouragement from mentors. Here, she learned Braille and also trained in therapeutic massage techniques at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Da Nang. Those years spent learning and developing at the Association helped her regain hope and confidence in life after losing her sight.
Vân began her massage career in 2005. At first, the profession of massage for the visually impaired faced a lot of skepticism, and many customers didn’t understand the field. Some even had misconceptions about it. However, with persistence and improving her skills, she managed to change people’s attitudes. Thanks to the health benefits and quality of her services, her massage center gained trust, and more customers began visiting.
Currently, Vân’s massage center employs 20 visually impaired individuals, providing them with steady jobs and income. Vân’s monthly income is around 5 million VND, along with tips from customers, helping her not only support herself but also provide opportunities for others in the visually impaired community.
Vân is always eager to expand her skills by learning new massage techniques, particularly Thai massage, to diversify services and create even more job opportunities for the blind community. With her belief and continuous effort, she hopes to build a strong profession that helps blind individuals gain confidence, integrate into society, and live better lives.
