Diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, Amar Latif had lost 95 percent of his eyesight by the age of 18. This didn’t deter him from taking the opportunity travelling to Canada for the third and final year of his mathematics and statistics degree. Having got the bug for adventure, Amar was frustrated to discover travel companies don’t accommodate blind and partially sighted people. So, in 2004 he founded the specialist commercial tour operator, Traveleyes. Today he is a well-known TV presenter too.
“I’ve been told I ‘can’t’ throughout my life,” says Amar. “But limitations are usually in our heads. Recognising that, and making decisions for what we want not what we think we can do, is very powerful and can propel us to do the seemingly unachievable.
“I’m really excited to be presenting the keynote at Manchester Central. The veterinary profession has faced some incredibly difficult challenges with the pandemic. I understand some of that frustration and hope I can bring a little inspiration to see the world from a unique point of view.”
“Amar Latif’s determination and unrivalled positivity is an excellent example to us all,” says Laura Jenkins at Zoetis, keynote sponsor. “BSAVA’s Congress 2022 has an incredible line-up of speakers and sessions, offering unrivalled high-quality CPD, as well as being one of the first opportunities for the veterinary community to come together since the start of the pandemic.”
“We really wanted a speaker whose story was genuinely uplifting and inspirational, and who came from outside the veterinary/medical/sporting worlds to give a different perspective on challenge and creating opportunities out of setbacks,” adds Andy Green, member of the BSAVA Congress Programme Committee. “Amar is a very warm and engaging speaker, and his story speaks to everyone regardless of background, job title or personal circumstance. We want delegates to leave with a sense of hope, of optimism and renewed appreciation for the things in their lives that really matter.”
Amar Latif will be joined by world-leading experts in cardiology, feline medicine and anaesthesia on 24 March. The programme also features the first “Day in the life of…”, an experiential case study of anaesthesia dramas set in a general practice. With actors and speakers delivering the scenarios, it is a completely new approach to delivering CPD. On Friday and Saturday these ground-breaking sessions will look at neurology and reproduction, respectively. Elsewhere delegates will find over 100 industry-leading organisations in the exhibition and practical sessions at no further cost.
BSAVA Congress 2022 takes place online and at Manchester Central on 24 to 26 March. To register visit the congress website.
