- Amar Latif
Amar Latif (born December 4th
1974 ) is a blind entrepreneur, television actor, director, motivational speaker and world traveller.Amar's blindness is due to the incurable eye condition
Retinitis Pigmentosa . By the age of 20, he had 95% sight loss.Traveleyes
Amar is the founder and director of
Traveleyes , the world's first commercial international air tour operator company to specialise in serving blind as well as sighted travellers [ [http://www.traveleyes.co.uk Traveleyes - Home ] ] . In founding this ground-breaking enterprise, he set out to challenge the assumption that visually impaired travellers should ever have to accept restrictions on their world travel aspirations. He often personally fulfils the role of world tour-guide.Education and Experience
Amar gained a BSc in Mathematics, Statistics and Finance at the
University of Strathclyde , spending part of his course inCanada atQueen’s University in Kingston,Ontario . On leaving university, he trained as anaccountant [ [http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/enterprise/article3159727.ece My big idea: Traveleyes - Times Online ] ] , and eventually became Head of Commercial Finance forBritish Telecom [http://www.jci.cc/members/news.php?lang_id=1&info_id=5479&t=3010 JCI ] ] .Awards
In
2007 , he was presented with the inauguralStelios Disabled Entrepreneur Award . This award is presented byEasyJet founder SirStelios Haji-Ioannou in partnership with the charityLeonard Cheshire Disability [ [http://www.easy.com/stelios/DEYA.html easy.com : Stelios : the Stelios disabled entrepreneur award ] ] . Amar's other awards include the2005 'Outstanding Young Business Entrepreneur of the World’ and ‘Outstanding Young Person of the UK', both awarded by the Chamber of Commerce International (JCI), the2006 One Vision Man of the Year [ [http://cms.rncb.ac.uk/pressreleases/ Press Releases from RNC - All the latest from The Royal National College of the Blind ] ] , and theUniversity of Strathclyde ’s2006 Alumnus of the Year award [ [http://www.strath.ac.uk/alumni/aoy/2006/ Alumnus Of The Year 2006 - University of Strathclyde ] ] .Media career
Amar was a participant in the first series of the
BBC Two documentaryBeyond Boundaries [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/tvradio/beyondboundaries/profiles/ BBC - Ouch! - TV & Radio - Beyond Boundaries ] ] . Broadcast in October and November2005 , the four-part programme explored the levels of endurance attainable by a group of travellers with various disabilities on a gruelling 220 mile trek from theAtlantic to thePacific coasts ofNicaragua . Amar also directed theChannel Four documentarySightseeing Blind , broadcast on [15 April 2007 [ [http://www.strath.ac.uk/alumni/aoy/documentary/ Sightseeing Blind - University of Strathclyde ] ] . Amar's recent TV acting roles have included parts in theBBC Three surreal comedy seriesIt's Adam and Shelley , and theBBC One drama seriesLove Soup withTamsin Greig , produced byVerity Lambert , scheduled for screening in early2008 . He has also appeared as a special guest on the television cookery showReady, Steady, Cook .Amar has, in addition, appeared in theatrical productions in the UK, including musical revue and serious drama. He has played music professionally in the USA and Canada in a Blues duo, playing
guitar and singing.Charity Work
Amar is also known for his charity work. He is a fund-raising public speaker, as well as taking on other fund-raising activities, one of which involved him abseiling down the side of a major public building dressed as
Batman .External links
*cite web| title =Amar Latif| url =http://www.amarlatif.co.uk | accessdate =2008-01-29
*cite web| title =Traveleyes| url =http://www.traveleyes.co.uk| accessdate =2008-01-29References
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