Teacher Born Without Hands Writes With His Feet in India

When Jami Simhachalam Naidu was three years old, his uncle read a magazine story about someone writing with their feet and saw a spark of possibility. Born with disabilities affecting both hands and one leg, young Simhachalam began practicing with chalk between his toes.

By age five, he could write letters with a pen gripped between his toes. While classmates sat at desks, he wrote from the floor, completing every assignment and exam on his own.

Naidu grew up in Ganisettipalem village in Andhra Pradesh, India, in a farming family. His parents worried about his future, but he never let their concerns become his limits.

"I understood from a young age that if I wanted to do everything on my own, I would have to consider my feet as my hands," Naidu told BBC News Hindi. "I made it a habit to do every task with my feet."

He completed his intermediate studies, college degree, and teaching certification without ever using a writer or assistant. Every exam, every paper, every assignment was written with his feet within the standard time limits.

When it came time to prepare for the government teaching exam, Naidu faced another obstacle. Unable to attend coaching centers easily, he studied at home using YouTube videos and online classes for six years.

Many people told him his disability would make getting a government job easier through special quotas. Naidu had different plans.

"I wanted to prove that I would get the job in the open category on the basis of my merit," he said. After six years of preparation, he scored third rank at the district level in the DSC examination, competing against candidates without disabilities.

Sunny's Take

Today, at 26, Naidu teaches at a Government Tribal Welfare High School. He sits on a table at the front of class, gripping chalk between his toes to write lessons on the blackboard.

His deputy headmaster, Kondababu, remembers when Naidu first joined the school and was asked to sign documents. "He told us that he would sign with his legs," Kondababu recalls.

"He does not teach like any ordinary teacher," Kondababu says. "In many ways, he teaches even better. He is invaluable to our school."

For his students, Naidu is living proof that limitations exist only when we accept them.

His journey from a three-year-old drawing lines on walls to a government teacher inspiring the next generation proves that determination and support can reshape what's possible.