Differently abled

An avid fan of kite flying, nine-year-old Tinkesh could not have imagined that his innocent hobby would one day prove near-fatal for him — a tragedy that changed his life forever.

“A little research revealed that every year over 40,000 people in India lose their upper arms, and 85 per cent of them continue to live without any solution. And, the majority come from economically underprivileged sections."

“We were shocked to realise that even well-educated visually-challenged adults would not have a clear idea of maps - we wanted to go a step higher than that."

From being abandoned as a four-year-old to being injured during the race itself, they didn’t let any hurdles stop them.

“I have modified everything from a Nano to a Mercedes. The car doesn’t matter to me — what matters is the person driving it,” says the National Award winner, Rajesh Sharma.

Opting out of their job placements, the IIT students behind this brilliant product chose to "make the Braille laptop accessible to the millions who were previously uncatered to". #IIT #Inclusive #Innovation

"The first time I got a call asking about flavour names on milk packets, the interaction felt quite surreal. It was sudden and just in the moment," read one of the many heartwarming comments on the post.

He has manufactured seven vehicles so far, and 70 per cent of their components were sourced from e-waste and scrap markets. Additionally, two are entirely powered by batteries.

While it is undoubtedly interesting that this shop functions without a shopkeeper, that is not its only unique characteristic.

These buses will have hydraulic lifts, GPS trackers, CCTV cameras and panic buttons fitted in them. A welcome step towards equality!