A PARTIALLY-SIGHTED former businesswoman is aiming to compile of collection of stories about people’s experiences of blindness.

Hanoria Baranovich, 60, lost the central vision in her right eye about 12 years ago, before losing sight completely in her left eye in 2009.

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Although distraught at the time, the Bacup resident determined to enjoy life regardless, and even took some pleasure from some of the strange things that happened to her.

She plans to publish some of her experiences in the autumn, but is reliant on others also telling their stories to add to the collection, in the hope of raising awareness about the condition.

She said: “When I lost my sight I was devastated and felt like my world had collapsed around me. But there were two ways of thinking about it – let it grind you into the ground, or accept there is nothing you can do about it.

“For the last five years I have done some weird and wonderful things. I have tried to peel a spud with an apple corer, got in the wrong car, and have many scars and know all the staff at our local A&E department.”

Mrs Baranovich, who ran a bistro and the Artyfax printing shop in Bacup, and whose husband is Czech, said one of the hardest things about blindness is being ignored by people – including comments such as ‘will she manage that?’ and ‘does she take sugar?’

The grandma-of-four, of Rosebank Street, added: “People often don’t know how to handle it or what to say, and it feels like we are invisible to most people. I want the book to make people think about what it’s like to be blind.

She said the book will be “light-hearted” and added: “My quest is to get anecdotes from VIPs, to tell me what clangers they have dropped. We can tell our stories and let people have a good chuckle, but more importantly let them know we are human beings – we laugh and cry just the same as them.”

Previously Hanoria has collected an estimated 80,000 stamps for the blind.

In 2014 she participated in a scheme by the Royal National Institute of Blind People where donated stamps are exchanged for cash.

Hanoria gathered approximately 40 kilos of postage prints which will equate to around £600 when converted into a donation.

Any proceeds from the book will be donated to charities including Action for Blind People and the RNIB.

If you, or someone you know, would like to contribute, call Mrs Baranovich on 01706 878052.