'On My Way': Meet Ex-IIM Prof Anita Sharma, Who Teaches Driving To Differently-Abled People

A former Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) Professor, Dr Anita Sharma, originally from Jaipur, Rajasthan, was six years old when a polio attack left her paralysed from the waist down. She received her doctorate in disability and entrepreneurship from the IIM-Indore.

In 2001, Prof Anita began operating a modified vehicle; later, in 2017, she opened her driving academy. She stated that driving gave her wings and allowed her to go anywhere, as, before that, she relied on her parents, who spent most of their time caring for her when they could have been doing so much more.

'Jugaad': Customised Car By Jaipur Mechanic

When Anita outgrew riding a bike with support wheels, she switched to driving a Maruti Alto, which she had adapted so that her hands, rather than her feet, would operate the accelerator, stop, and clutch reported The Hindu.

She remarked, "There is a lever on the dashboard that can be pushed or pulled according to my desired speed; Rajesh Sharma, a mechanic in Jaipur, performed the jugaad customisation. I learned to drive and gained my independence through this vehicle."

'On My Own': Driving School Launched In Amritsar

Anita idolised Navin Gulia, a philanthropist, world record holder, and adventure enthusiast who is paralysed from the neck down. While pursuing her PhD, she had the chance to meet him when he was visiting campus with some of his friends, and one of them asked Anita if she could teach them to drive a car.

This experience inspired her to look into driving programs that could benefit students with special needs. She called over 2,000 of them nationwide but was very disappointed with the results.

The encounter that motivated her the most was when a 24-year-old man named Rahul contacted her and revealed that he was paralysed from the waist down. He was entirely dependent because he lived in a town far from Amritsar without an Ola or Uber service.

On the weekends, Anita would travel to instruct him. As a result, she quit her job at IIM Amritsar and launched 'On My Own in Amritsar.

'Coffee Conversations': Consultations With Challenged People

When Prof Sharma went to the Chandigarh Spinal Rehabilitation Centre and found that many people had been disabled later in life and were hesitant to drive again, she started teaching nearly 100 people. She did consultations with differently-abled people and their families called 'Coffee Conversations'.

She also assists her students in obtaining driving permits and customised vehicles. Since everyone has different needs, she prefers to train one individual at a time. The training at On My Own covers petrol costs and the rates vary depending on individual needs.

Anita is open to visiting other cities in the future, even though she primarily teaches students in Amritsar. She also has other ideas, including developing a car with a direct entrance for wheelchair users.

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