“No life without food.”
While food is essential for all, the act of cooking represents much more than survival — it is an expression of care, confidence, and creativity.
For individuals with visual impairment, learning to cook means achieving independence, contributing to family and community, and gaining self-esteem. Yet around the world, blind and low-vision people — especially women — often face barriers that prevent them from learning and practicing this basic life skill.
A Global Challenge
- Over 43 million people worldwide are blind, with an additional 250 million living with some form of visual impairment.
- Despite advances in inclusive education and mobility support, practical life skills like cooking remain inaccessible for many due to lack of training, tools, and societal attitudes.
Common barriers include:
- Family fears about safety and accidents in the kitchen
- Social stigma about the abilities of blind individuals
- Lack of accessible cooking tools and adapted training
- Limited opportunities in vocational and hospitality sectors
Cooking is often seen as a “visual” skill, but with the right techniques and support, visually impaired individuals can master it using other senses. Unfortunately, many are discouraged from learning, leading to dependence and reinforcing harmful stereotypes.
“When I first told my father I wanted to learn to cook, he refused. He thought it was impossible. But I kept trying, convinced him, and with training, I learned. Today, I cook independently. That changed how my family sees me — and how I see myself.”
This story highlights a universal truth — blind individuals have the ability but often lack the opportunity.
Golden Eye Chef: The Initiative
Golden Eye Chef began in 2019 as India’s first national cooking competition exclusively for visually impaired cooks. In 2022, it expanded to become the world’s first and only global cooking contest for the blind.
The competition celebrates the skill, resilience, and creativity of blind cooks worldwide, challenging assumptions about their capabilities and inspiring inclusion in kitchens everywhere.
More than a contest, Golden Eye Chef is a movement to:
Spark new possibilities in training, education, and employment for visually impaired chefs
Raise awareness about adaptive cooking
Promote inclusive kitchens
Founder’s Vision
Akhil Srivastava, founder of Golden Eye Chef and Antardrishti, believes:
“If we want to enjoy life, we must simplify it — for everyone.”
Noticing that life skills like cooking were often overlooked for visually impaired people, Akhil created this platform to demonstrate that blindness is no barrier to culinary excellence. Golden Eye Chef aims to empower blind individuals with dignity, visibility, and opportunity.
Looking Ahead
Golden Eye Chef is more than a competition — it is a catalyst for change. Building on its success, the initiative seeks to develop pathways for accessible training, education, employment, and entrepreneurship — enabling blind cooks worldwide to pursue not just independence, but fulfilling careers and lasting impact.