Honouring the re-written scripts of life

CHENNAI: We are all exceptional in our own little ways. Then there are some, who are exceptionally different to challenge life, every single day.

Discovering the tales of some such differently abled women achievers from the country, CavinKare, in partnership with Ability Foundation today, honoured five such achievers from across the country, as part of its 22nd CavinKare Ability Awards 2024.

Poetry, All Inclusive:

I believe that my intellectual bent of mind, and my ability to concentrate has been the dominant aspects of my persona, more than the challenges of mobility and speech because of having cerebral palsy. Through my writing, in the form of poems, stories, blogs and books, I aim to spread effective messages at removing stereotypes and creating inclusivity. I am currently working towards an MPhil degree. My educational journey, from a special school to mainstream institutions, has influenced the choice of subject for my dissertation, which is inclusive education.

Born to Be Limitless:

I was born in a small village in Himachal Pradesh, where I gradually lost my vision over a four-month period. As I navigated the challenges of moving away from home to complete my schooling, the world opened up for me when I entered university. My love for mountaineering stemmed from an inclusive course. Since then, I have scaled the 19,635 feet Mount Kanamo peak, and Mount Kang Yatsae 2, in addition to the Siachen glacier. I am born to choose the more difficult route, not only for myself, but to also give confidence to others like me. I want society to understand that visual impairment need not be as limiting as it is often thought to be. Chhonzin Angmo, New Delhi (Mastery Awards)

Rewriting Script of Life:

My story could very easily have been one of loss— a child who lost both her parents, her eyesight, and many of her dreams. I decided to give life a best shot and hit the ground running when I lost my eyesight because of a brain tumour. Now, I am an artist, script writer, counsellor and entrepreneur. It was a life changing step for me, when I came to know about screen readers. I started working on awareness audio, and also directed video films. Overcoming hurdles, I came up with Spacefelt, an application that allows people with visual impairment to label anything according to their specific needs. Aishwarya T V, Secunderabad, Telangana. (Mastery Awards)

Indomitable Spirit of Adventure, Leading to Changing Lives:

It was in 1995, when a paragliding accident left me with a spinal injury, needing a long term rehabilitation. But that never dulled my inherent thirst for life. I was made a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants of India in 1999, and was awarded a PhD for my work on Healthcare Rehabilitation Management in 2009. In 2001, Nina Foundation was born from my desire to enhance the quality of life in all aspects for those with spinal cord injury. From home-based and virtual rehabilitation services, to mentorship to awareness drives and outbound programmes, our foundation works to enable a life of dignity for everyone. Dr Ketna L Mehta, Mumbai, Maharashtra. (Special Recognition Award)

Brightest Ray of Hope in the Darkness:

As a proud founder of Vision Empower, I work to equip and encourage children with visual impairment to pursue STEM education in school. This is an area where blind students are conspicuously absent. Despite math being my favourite subject in school, I was always discouraged on account of my blindness. Dealing with the challenges of inaccessible material and insensitive environments, I went on to complete BCA and emerged as the topper. When it came to getting a job, people pointed towards ‘blind jobs’ such as a telephone operator. That was when I decided that instead of seeking jobs, I will create them. Vidhya Y, Bengaluru, Karnataka. (Award for Eminence)