Narjis Karimipour was born blind, and when she was 10 years old she lost her hearing. Three years later, she sat down for a StoryCorps conversation with her parents, Sarah Kassim and Mohammad Karimipour, to tell her story in the hopes of helping others struggling with disabilities.
Narjis Karimipour in the water with a dolphin named Bo in Gulfport, MS, in July 2022. Photo courtesy of Sarah Kassim.
Narjis communicates with her parents through a braille communication device, which requires her parents to type their questions and answers on a keyboard that are translated to a braille touchpad in realtime for Narjis to read.
The Karimipour family on a bike ride in New Orleans, LA, in November 2022. Photo courtesy of Sarah Kassim.
Narjis Karimipour in Orange Beach, AL, in December 2023. Photo courtesy of Sarah Kassim.
Top photo: Sarah Kassim, Narjis Karimipour, and Mohammad Karimipour at their first StoryCorps interview in New Orleans, LA, on December 4, 2024. By Ian Murakami for StoryCorps.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired July 25, 2025 on NPR’s Morning Edition.