Disability

From the outside it may look like a regular spa, but step in and you will realize why it is special. The Metta spa, which gets its name from a Pali word translated as ‘loving kindness,’ only hires visually impaired masseurs. And for its kind and special owner, Joanita Figueredo, there is no greater joy than seeing her employees fulfil their ambitions in Mumbai, the city of dreams.

Meet Anil Gavade, the owner of a tea stall in Mumbai, who is known for his charitable work and concern for people living with disabilities. But Anil wasn't always like this. His early life revolved around robberies, thefts, cheating and fraud. This is his story of transformation.

Bengaluru based Samarthanam Trust for Disabled has 5,000 audio books to help students with disabilities achieve their educational goals. More are being added every day by an army of volunteers because the goal of the founder, Mahantesh, is to have the entire university syllabus available in audio format.

Sandeep Kumar was just seven when doctors gave him an expired penicillin injection. It left him in a coma for a year followed by paralysis in the lower half of his body. Today, this 24-year-old man, who is the first paraplegic to be employed by the aviation industry, glides around on a wheelchair at Delhi airport – helping other people with disabilities.

Arundhati Nath was born with bilateral congenital cataract. After many surgeries, she gained 25 percent of her vision, and can now read print, though from a very close distance. Today, she is working with State Bank of India. She still faces challenges but is very happy with her many achievements. This is her journey.

The Accessible India campaign is auditing 27 international airports and 75 railway stations to identify areas that need to be improved and made disabled-friendly by July 2016. This inclusiveness aims to give equal opportunities to some 2.68 crore differently-abled in the society.

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.

To reduce the burden on physically challenged students and to make education more inclusive, the IIT council has announced a fee waiver for them. The council is also reconsidering their recent proposal of increasing the tuition fees for other students.

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.

The government is all set to launch the Accessible India Campaign which will focus on making India a more disabled-friendly nation. From more accessible public places, to disable-friendly television programs, here are seven amazing initiatives which will be a part of the campaign.