“”What happened to his  hand?” asked a child with curiosity.  The child’s parent, in an effort to deviate attention, hastily added that the hand in question was “injured” and would recover soon. However, I knew only too well that that would not be the case. My son was born with a radial club hand — a permanent condition,” says Dr. Shweta Verma, the co-founder of Ginny’s Planet and Ginny Ki Duniya Foundation. She goes on to emphasize that permanence isn’t always a problem. It’s more to do with mindset. “My son was born with multiple health conditions and we were constantly in and out of hospitals, but that has taught us so much. As a disability rights social worker since 2002, I had forgotten how people perceive you when you’re seen only as a mom. The question—”What happened to his hand?”— is fine. The discomfort around the answer isn’t.”

As per the Census 2011, the number of Persons with Disabilities in India stands at 2.68 crore, which is 2.21 percent of the total population of the country. A number of initiatives, like the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, by the Government has positively impacted the lives of PWDs, but there is still a lot that needs to be done. Challenges are manifold: lack of awareness, funding, implementation gaps, adequate training, among others.  

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Manvi Sethi is a Special Educator, who has been working with children with special needs since decades. She points out: “While awareness about special needs is growing and early diagnosis is becoming more common, there remains a significant gap in the availability of well-trained educators, who can serve as both counselors and trainers. Many schools still lack the resources and expertise to address the unique needs of students with special needs effectively. To meet government requirements, schools often assign a maximum of two educators to handle a large number of students, which is far from adequate. What children with special needs truly require are individualized education plans, adaptive strategies, and a modified curriculum that caters to their specific needs.” Manvi also feels that, in addition, there is a growing argument that the examination system should be adjusted to better assess abilities of students with special needs, such as through multiple-choice questions or oral tests. 

Various NGOs working with Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) strive to generate awareness on the subject via diverse advocacy tools. However, funding remains a critical hurdle, which is where partnerships come into the picture. Dr. Dina Pahlajani, M.D., is the President and Co-founder of Children’s Hope India. “For over three decades, Children’s Hope has been committed to providing quality education to children from marginalized backgrounds. At the same time, we recognize the unique challenges faced by vulnerable children with special needs. Our programs support abandoned girls with cerebral palsy in Kolkata, provide education and medical assistance for boys with haemophilia, and offer summer camps for children with autism. Our goal is to empower these children and their families through their critical childhood years, maximizing their abilities so they can lead independent, fulfilling lives. However, raising awareness and securing resources remain urgent challenges, as these children require comprehensive, multi-level care. We urge greater support to ensure that no child is left behind.”. Dr. Michelle Harrison, Founder, Shishur Sevay, couldn’t agree more. 

Childlife Shishur Sevay was founded by Dr. Michelle Harrison in 2006. Michelle built Shishur Sevay as a best practices model of a family style, inclusive non-institutional home for lost and abandoned girls, some having profound disabilities. Children’s Smart Centre (CSC), which is a free inclusive community playschool established in March, 2020, helps learning holistic, integrated, enjoyable and engaging. Today, Shishur Sevay is home to 14 girls, and some of them have severe disabilities. Among the girls, one is currently in college and learning spoken English; another is pursuing a diploma in Fine Arts and has earned a Black Belt in Karate; one student is in class 12 at The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) and holds a certificate in Yoga; yet another girl is involved in making jewellery, doing embroidery, sewing, and managing school administration (at CSC). The youngest child is in class 6 at an international school and is also learning French. The older girls are teaching at CSC. Says Michelle: “When I began my journey with Shishur Sevay, a number of people told me that I was serving a lost cause, but I knew in my heart of hearts that despite numerous challenges, someone had to do something about the cause of children, especially girl children, abandoned and with special needs. For me, that was the day of my “enlightenment” as I call it. There has been no looking back ever since. Funds, policies, security & safety, logistics, administrative work, sustainability and so many other such issues have been constant hurdles, but support has always come in, somehow, from somewhere.”

Inclusion has many roads that lead to it, one of which is the ability to accept that being different is just fine, and each individual is unique in their own way, facilitating diversity. As Sumanta Kar, Chief Executive Officer, SOS Children’s Villages of India, succinctly puts it: “As a society, we must challenge outdated perceptions and recognise that children with special needs are not just recipients of care but contributors to the nation. With the right guidance, they excel in diverse fields, be it sports, arts, technology, or vocational careers. At SOS Children’s Villages India, we have witnessed this first-hand at our Children’s Village in Khajuri Kalan, which is dedicated exclusively to the care of children with special needs. Many of our children have gone on to represent India in the Special Olympics, winning medals and proving that ability is not defined by limitations but by opportunity. It is time we move beyond sympathy and embrace empowerment; only then can we build a truly inclusive nation.”

However, for inclusion to be a reality, education (curricular/extracurricular) and skilling are critical, especially if self-dependence and independence (more so financial) are to be ensured. 

Danish Mahajan is the founder of Radio Udaan. He is visually impaired and stresses on the need for skilling. Beyond that, he underlines the fact that skills have the power to change minds and reshape perceptions. “A well-honed skill can create opportunities, shift societal attitudes, and open doors that were once closed. Education and skills aren’t just tools—they are the keys to unlocking a world of possibilities and ensuring an inclusive future for all. As a visually impaired individual, one of the biggest challenges I faced was the lack of accessible opportunities in education and employment. The world isn’t always designed for persons with disabilities, and breaking through societal barriers required immense perseverance. Even today, I believe that attitudinal barriers, inaccessibility, and a lack of information or awareness remain the biggest challenges. Realizing this, I founded Radio Udaan to provide timely information, showcase skills, and break these barriers. Instead of waiting for change, I became the change.”  

As the world keeps moving forward at a heady pace, it is imperative to understand that each individual is unique in their own way; it is this understanding and acceptance that can help mitigate conflicts and many challenges, making the world a more inclusive and equitable place to be in. “There is no greater disability in society, than the ability to see a person as more.” This quote could not be more apt in today’s time and age, where ability forms such an integral part of disability, even literally.