Success is never limited by darkness. This is what the visually-impaired Filipina from Ateneo De Manila University (ADMU) proved as she graduated back in 2001.
Born on January 12, 1980, Roselle Ambubuyog has been blind since the age of six. On March 24, 2001, she made history as the first visually impaired graduate to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from ADMU—graduating with flying colors, earning the distinction of Summa Cum Laude, and serving as the valedictorian of her batch.
Roselle’s academic excellence has been evident since her elementary and high school days. She graduated as her batch valedictorian from elementary to high school. And as she entered university, she was able to maintain her standing with the support of ADMU, which provided her with essential tools like a Braille translation software that converts encoded or scanned text for computer use, and a Braille printer that produces hard copies of exam questions, lecture notes, and other classroom materials. A talking calculator, also purchased by ADMU, helped Roselle hear numbers aloud as she computed. This allowed her to study to her heart’s content and graduate at the top of her class.
Aside from graduating with Latin honors, Roselle also received the President’s Award for Service and Excellence as the most outstanding individual, the St. Ignatius Award for Outstanding Scholar, and the Departmental Award for Mathematics. Her recognition did not stop after graduation, she also received the Jose Rizal Model Student Award from the Knights of Rizal Supreme Council and a science award from the Bank of the Philippine Islands.
Beyond the academic walls, Roselle was the first vision-impaired Filipino to become proficient in the use of the Cranmer abacus for the blind, as well as the Korean Finger Math technique called Chisanbop. Using her own experience as inspiration, she set up a project with the Makati-Ayala Rotary Club, which donated special software, desktop computers, scanners, and Braille printers to schools with mainstream education programs for the blind. Furthermore, she also voluntarily helped in teaching new technological tools and techniques to blind students under the Resources for the Blind initiatives.
At present, Roselle works remotely from the Philippines as an access technology consultant for software and hardware companies across Europe and North America. She designs specifications for technologies that help blind, partially sighted, and learning-disabled individuals use computers and mobile devices — while also coordinating teams of engineers, testers, distributors, and customers across more than 50 countries.
What may seem like a limitation is the very thing that enabled someone like Roselle Ambuyog to excel, not only during her student years, but also in empowering communities of visually impaired individuals to pursue their dreams and proving that blindness is never the limit.