Disability

An accident left Rohit to deal with neurological disorders. Tagged as “different,” he lost his friends and went into depression. This is when his cousin Rahul brought out the dancer in him. Today, Rohit is a dancing star, a cyclist, a swimmer, and also a Limca Book record holder.

Visit Sai Bakery in Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai, and you will find more than just the wonderful aroma of freshly baked goods wafting out of it. You’ll sense the pride with which it is run and the confidence and self-esteem it provides to many of its employees who are adults with special needs.

A spinal tumour left Deepa paraplegic and confined to a wheelchair in 1999. But she did not let her disability deter her passion to go out and pursue adventure sports,. She became an award-winning athlete, record-breaking swimmer, performed bike stunts, and did everything she dreamt of in her life.

From being diagnosed with cerebral palsy and dyslexia to becoming the founder of two successful companies – this is the journey of Ajit Babu.

Vindhya E Infomedia, a BPO in Bangalore, is known for it its quality and deliverability. But what’s special about it? The organization was started with the vision of employing differently abled people, and has been doing so very successfully for the past 10 years now.

It’s fun, it’s creative and it’s colourful – the interior of one taxi in Mumbai that is upholstered in fabric printed with the Indian sign language. Meet the designer who wants to not only popularise the language but also instil a desire in people to learn it.

Siddharth GJ, a friend of the late President APJ Abdul Kalam, is a motivational speaker, a father, and a Certified Documentary Credit Specialist. He also has cerebral palsy. Siddharth's journey has been, expectedly, full of challenges but is nothing short of inspirational given all that he has achieved because of his determination and strong will.

Muskan was born with a hole in her heart, underdeveloped lungs, partial paralysis, and several other disorders. Doctors said she wouldn’t live for more than 100 hours. Muskan is 16 now and an inspiration to thousands of people. She has authored two books, is a motivational speaker, a radio show host, and much more. This is the story of her indomitable spirit.

Orthopaedic equipment is expensive — wheelchairs cost thousands and even lakhs of rupees, while even a simple pair of crutches can tot up to a few hundred. But more important is the fact that most of the time, this equipment has a short-term use. Falguni Doshi of Vadodara has come up with an innovative way of recycling the equipment while helping the needy.

Jyoti is a thalassemia patient. But, she says, she is more than an illness—she believes in her identity as a novelist, a blogger, a speaker, and a woman.