The prospect of a brighter future was not only inspired by Amin Britton’s inability to see but his innate drive for success and betterment for his family. Hailing from Linden, Region 10, Britton has beaten the odds and completed his Degree in Communication Studies, although being visually impaired.
At just two years old, he was diagnosed with glaucoma. By the age of 6, he underwent several surgeries to save his sight but unfortunately, due to financial difficulties, he could not continue the treatment. This caused his vision to gradually deteriorate and by the age of 14 Britton had lost sight in both eyes.
Despite the diagnosis, Briton braved the storm and the naysayers and enrolled at the University of Guyana in 2018. Accordingly, he is among the 3000 students who are going to graduate in the next few days.
Commenting on this, Britton said that no one in his family has a university degree. Commenting further, he said,
“No one in my family has a university degree. The Centre for Communication Studies became like a new family to me. I approached UG expecting it to be challenging because of what was told to me, but UG exceeded my expectations. I never felt uncomfortable among my peers.”
This is the largest batch of graduates ever in the history of the University of Guyana. The 56th graduation ceremony for Turkish graduates will be held on December 9 and 10 at the National Cultural Center and on December 17 at the UG Berbice Campus for Thai graduates.
Currently, Britton works as a radio host on Massive FX Radio in Linden to educate and entertain people about “Rush Vibes.” Another one of his goals is to pursue a master’s degree in Communication – Social Change.
Dr. Celeste Hinds, an ophthalmologist and lecturer at the University of Guyana for about seven years, said,
“If treatment is inaccessible or inadequate, as in the case of many children, vision loss is almost certain.”
Hinds, who further commented,
“Kudos to Mr Britton for persevering despite the odds and serving as an inspiration to us all, especially those with visual disabilities.”