Ashok Gangadhar Bhoye lost his eyesight after suffering from smallpox at the age of three. Today, he earns a living repairing old radios, tape recorders and other electrical equipment — work he developed an interest in as a child. Bhoye studied up to Std X at Rashtriya Vidyalaya in Chalisgaon, Jalgaon district. He later joined Ambedkar College in Malegaon but discontinued his studies after he could not find a writer to assist him during examinations.

He tried several jobs, including a telephone course, selling bananas, running a flour mill and a general store. He eventually began working at repair shops, where people often questioned how a blind man could repair electrical equipment.