My Story: 'There Were Very Little Facilities Available For People With Disabilities Like Me, So I Decided To Change That'

'Divyaang', the word which loosely translates to 'one with a divine body part', was a title given to people like me by the Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2015. The title came as opposed to the term 'Viklaang', which was being used widely. Divyaang was equivalent to saying that we have a divine body and thought process that sets us apart from ordinary people.

However, changing the title has had little to no impact, and I can vouch for that with my life amid the constant doubts that I have when I try to step out in public. A systemic change is required, and after getting tired of waiting for this to come along, I decided to catalyse the change through a petition I made online.

Dignity To Life - A Right For All

I am a 26-year-old from Jajpur with dreams just like anyone else. The only difference is that achieving these dreams is ten times more difficult for me compared to other ordinary citizens. The stepping stones towards success laid out for others have to be a ramp for a wheelchair user like me, but India has not progressed enough to be disable-friendly.

After being affected by cerebral palsy at a young age, I have been in a wheelchair and had to go through every phase of my life with extra support from others. Since my school days, my struggle was known to many, but they did not know how to create an inclusive space that could accommodate the needs of a specially-abled. I completed most of my studies from home, including my MA studies, and then went on to attend several competitive examinations.

While appearing for these tests, at least four or five people have to help me get inside the class and get seated. I used to feel terrible at those moments and wished there was a way I could move around on my own. For people with disabilities like me, the real test lies beyond the examination centres. Our capacities get evaluated based on our disability, and even the simple concept of mobility is limited for us due to the inaccessible nature of the country.

I wanted to bring a change in this structural problem and convey to the government the difficulties I face on a daily basis. They claim that we are divine with terms such as divyaang, but fall flat in bringing about a real change.

To date, I have not been able to find a wheelchair ramp in any institution. Most of them have stairs, and it's never an option that we could walk into. Few bigger establishments have made accommodative facilities for the differently-abled, but the problem lies a lot deeper than that. Many middle and lower-class people who suffer from disabilities hesitate to even step out of their homes because of the infrastructural struggles they face.

Petition For A Hopeful Tomorrow

Take any public place, be it a garden, historical site, theatre, or even public transport - they would barely be equipped with facilities that are disabled-friendly. I have constantly asked myself, "Why do we have to face such treatment just because we are disabled?" The government schemes could boast about giving pensions, reservations, and other concessions for the specially-abled, but none of this would translate into reality if they are not accessible.

A change is long-due and waiting for it did not make sense to me. So, I started a petition on Change.org asking people to join in my mission to make India disable-friendly. I started off with the state I am residing in, Rajasthan, and I slowly hope to take the movement across borders and help people like me to live independently.

I believe that the government could show us our real divinity by helping us not seek anyone's help. The way towards that is by making the country disable-friendly and making every service within the grassroots level accessible to all.

My humble request through the petition has now received over 1,800 signatures, and once it completes 2,500, the request will be picked up by media houses or, hopefully, the responsible authorities.

"I have done my BA, MA, even qualified NET…..but my real exam starts when I leave the exam hall."

Join @PriyaSh24923386 as she urges the Rajasthan govt, 'Hamare Layak Ye Duniya Banao'.

Sign with 1 click 👉🏽https://t.co/4TdsxFsBxZ@AvaniLekhara @_sayema @BansalSmita_ @SonuSood pic.twitter.com/FftyoXSwAl

— Change.org India (@ChangeOrg_India) September 20, 2022

This was the best I could do from my end in the hopes that someday, people like me could attend the school of their choice and go to the places they like without any worries.

I, myself, am a PhD aspirant who held back for a long time because not every institution welcomes us with wide open arms. I am fond of studying, and I want to be able to do that without having five people assisting me into a classroom.

We have every right to live our life within our full capacity, and I hope the government enables us to do so. I have walked against all possible odds to reach where I am right now, and I would never wish the same upon any other differently-abled person. Hopefully, my petition would be picked up by the right people who would do the necessary. Until then, I will keep fighting for a disabled-friendly state with all my strength.

Also Read: My Story: 'Accept Your Disability The Way It Is'