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 in Canada at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. On leaving university, he trained as an accountant [ [http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/enterprise/article3159727.ece My big idea: Traveleyes - Times Online ] ] , and eventually became Head of Commercial Finance for British 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 inaugural Stelios Disabled Entrepreneur Award. This award is presented by EasyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou in partnership with the charity Leonard Cheshire Disability [ [http://www.easy.com/stelios/DEYA.html easy.com : Stelios : the Stelios disabled entrepreneur award ] ] . Amar's other awards include the 2005 'Outstanding Young Business Entrepreneur of the World’ and ‘Outstanding Young Person of the UK', both awarded by the Chamber of Commerce International (JCI), the 2006 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 the University of Strathclyde’s 2006 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 documentary Beyond Boundaries [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/tvradio/beyondboundaries/profiles/ BBC - Ouch! - TV & Radio - Beyond Boundaries ] ] . Broadcast in October and November 2005, 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 the Atlantic to the Pacific coasts of Nicaragua. Amar also directed the Channel Four documentary Sightseeing 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 the BBC Three surreal comedy series It's Adam and Shelley, and the BBC One drama series Love Soup with Tamsin Greig, produced by Verity Lambert, scheduled for screening in early 2008. He has also appeared as a special guest on the television cookery show Ready, 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 =2008-01-29

References