Deaf, mute and visually impaired Sarah Moin scores 98.7% in ISC Class 12 exams: Here's how Lucknow's 'Helen Keller' scripted her success story again

Sarah Moin, a visually impaired, deaf, and mute girl from Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow, has scored a staggering 98.7% in the ISC Class 12 board examinations and has emerged as the topper of Christ Church College. This is not the first time Sarah defied the darkness and silence and scripted a tale of success. In 2024, she scored 95% in the ICSE Class 10 board exams, inspiring people with her incredible determination, hard work and willpower.

ALSO READ: Himachal car crash: Viral teary-eyed reel of victim surfaces after car falls into 200-foot gorge in Una

Lucknow's 'Helen Keller' shines

Sarah Moin's story is one grit, intellect and unbreakable resolve, reports TOI's Mohita Tewari. In 2014, multiple city schools refused admission to her following severe vision and hearing loss. But she didn't stop and setbacks never defined her.


Sarah, fondly called 'Helen Keller' by her teachers and peers, scored a perfect 100 in both Geography and Mass Media Communication, accompanied by a fantastic 98 in English, 97 in History, and 96 in Psychology.

ALSO READ: Earning Rs 3 lakh/month but ‘can’t afford 1 BHK’: Gurugram couple’s no-child decision sparks debate

Her father, Moin Ahmad Idrisi stood as a pillar of support and decided not to send her to a special school. Rather, he met Christ Church College principal Rakesh Chattree, who admitted Sarah to a special class. Moin Idrisi even took voluntary retirement from his government job to guide and support her in her academic journey.

"Sarah was born blind but had some hearing ability. But she lost her hearing in Class 3 when sarcoidosis struck. Her previous school was not willing to let her continue her education, so we took her to leading doctors in South India for treatment, but nothing worked and she lost two years," her father, Moin Ahmad Idrisi told TOI.

Sarah suffering from sarcoidosis

According to the TOI report, Sarah lives with sarcoidosis, a rare condition that gradually took away her vision, hearing, and speech. But she didn't allow her disability to take over.

In fact, she worked hard and scored 95 per cent in her Class 10th examinations, which according to her parents, boosted her and gave her the confidence to score even more in her 12th Board exams.

Her command over the subjects is remarkable. Ask her any question from the syllabus by tracing alphabets on her palm with your fingers, and she responds instantly with the correct answer.

Sarah's sets sights on civil services

Sarah aspires to become a civil servant. When she was enrolled at Christ Church College, her potential was recognised by her teacher, Salman Ali Qazi who taught her using an Orbit Reader, a device similar to a laptop with a Braille keyboard. Salman was already teaching several students with special needs in a separate classroom, but Sarah was the only one with dual disability.

"This journey was not easy. All the content in the books had to be scanned and converted into Word files so that it could be connected to the Orbit Reader and she could read it by placing her fingers on the Braille keyboard. For revision, I used to ask her questions by drawing alphabets on her palm with my finger. She would quickly join them together to form words and then sentences to understand what I was asking," her mother Julie Hamid told TOI, who is a teacher in a govt school. While Salman Sir helped Sarah at school, Idrisi and Julie taught her at home. Her elder brother, Zohaib Ahmad, a law student at Lucknow University, also helps her in academics.

(With TOI inputs)