May 01, 2020 | Rashmi Singh Parmar It is hard to understand how it feels to live with disability or to parent a child who has special needs – unless one has walked in their shoes. Many believe that persons with intellectual and developmental challenges may not be able to function in society or cannot […]

January 31, 2020 | Rishabh Bhutani Martina Navratilova once said, “Disability is a matter of perception. If you can do just one thing well, you’re needed by someone.” One may be born with a disability or have picked up in life due to a traumatic event. It is for society to not frown upon them […]

November 1, 2019 | Moumita Roy Autism – a very difficult subject in the medical field. Autism – the hardest word in the world for parents whose child is diagnosed with autism. But what if parents saw that autism is nothing more than a special spark within the child? Something that gives you as a […]

August 1, 2019 | Asmi     THE DOLL My five year old self Saw a butterfly fluttering above a flower When I was in the garden With my Uncle Mark He picked me up Kissed my cheeks Placing his hands Between my vees He gave a smile I can never forget It comes to […]

May 1, 2019 | Sonalika Mehta     Persons with intellectual challenges comprise an underutilized population of potential employees. All too often, we find that persons with challenges remain outside the workforce; forced outside the usual rhythm of life. As we discuss the employment opportunities for people with challenges, it is important to be aware […]

February 1, 2019 | Ria Khandpur     Special Olympics is the world’s largest sports organization for children and adults with challenges. It provides year-round sports training to more than one million people with physical and intellectual challenges. Special Olympics Bharat is the officially recognised programme of Special Olympics International which operates in India. India’s […]

November 1, 2018 | Kirti Agarwal     Intimacy can be understood as both emotional and physical closeness and openness of thoughts and feelings. Typically, we expect greater intimacy from a romantic partner than from a friend, but intimacy threads through both types of bonds in shared secrets, caring touches, moments of laughter and tears, […]

 August 1, 2018 | Deepak Kumar     When a loved one is diagnosed with a medical condition, there are many questions that emerge. How will they cope with the harsh realities of the world? How do you deal with someone who is different from others? How will your life be impacted by this revelation? What […]

 May 1, 2018 | Karan Yadav “I’m beautiful in my way, cuz God makes no mistakes. I’m on the right track, baby cuz I was born this way.” It is totally correct when we say that films are a reflection of our society. This is truly depicted when we see movies like ‘I am Sam’, […]

Children are the innocent future of every society. Countries around the world subscribe to their preeminent right to be nurtured and to be happy. And yet, in our 70-year-old India, one group – children with intellectual and developmental challenges (CwC)- find their needs unattended and their future uncertain. Intellectual and developmental challenges include conditions such […]

 November 6, 2017 | Unnati Bose   Despite the evolution of public health in India, the discourse around disability leaves much to be desired. General awareness about intellectual and learning disorders remains mediocre, although we see some positive steps in the past few years with initiatives such as the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. […]

 July 5, 2017 | Teesha Chugh & Anisha Shekhar   Segmentation and hierarchies in our society have existed from time immemorial. The prime cause of segmentation in Indian society dates back to ancient times when the varna system stratified our society. The ideology of segregating people from one another slowly spread its tentacles to several other fields and […]

 June 2, 2017 | By Darby Herkert   If you knew that parents and doctors were postponing treatment that could minimise the difficulties associated with an often life-long challenge, how would you feel? Unhappily, this is currently the case with autism in India. Autism is a neurological disorder that affects social interaction and communication skills. It […]

 February 7, 2017 | By Myriam Telford     India is undergoing a technology boom: media, politicians, corporates – and everyone in between – love to throw around terms such as ‘Smart India’ and ‘Digital India’. But can this new India be truly inclusive? Is there space for persons with various challenges, be they physical […]

 November 8, 2016 | By Namrata Caleb   In a largely patriarchal society like India’s, women face a significant disadvantage when it comes to accessing educational, health and job opportunities. According to the 2011 Census, while male literacy stands at 82%, female literacy stands at an abysmal 65%. Gender discrimination at birth in India has led to […]

 July 1, 2016 | Bipasha Ghosh   A few years ago, our family shifted to a new house. Our neighbours, Mr and Mrs Francis, were expecting a baby. The excited parents were painting the house a neutral yellow to make space for either a boy or a girl child. They were always over at our […]

 May 6, 2016 | By Priyanka Sharma   Imagine a child with a thousand dreams who is not able to express them. Now, imagine that child doggedly embarks on a journey to achieve those dreams, when thousands have already declared it hopeless. A common enough story, familiar to anyone who has friends who struggle with challenges […]

 April 7, 2016 | By Anubha Garg   Perhaps it was coincidence. I began work at the Amrit Foundation of India, an NGO that focuses on intellectual and development challenges. Only a few days later, my sister-in-law went into labour. As we waited for news on the progress of her labour, we were told that […]

 November 6, 2015 | By Pranavi Sethi and Christopher Dee   Imagine a world where every person has an equal chance at success. Boys and girls of all abilities and attributes are able to go to school. People hold jobs that allow them to earn for themselves and contribute to their family and society. Individuals are able to […]

 September 17, 2015 | By Christopher Dee   My friend posed a tough question: what is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of India? In my ten weeks here, I’ve come to realize just how vast and diverse India is. The land flanked by the Himalayas and the Indus, like […]

 September 8, 2015 | By Christopher Dee   We are often told to do good, that some higher power is keeping score of our earthly actions. But we less often ask ourselves: would we still do the same if we were not told to? Should my belief in Christ, or someone else’s belief in karma […]

 August 13, 2015 | By Christopher Dee   “Le Fou, Le Fou!” my cousin John calls out. Some days I’m the grovelling Le Fou from Beauty and the Beast. Some days, I’m the valiant Captain Von Trapp from The Sound of Music. Ever since we were young, John called each member of the family by […]

 June 17, 2015 | By Nandika Kumari and Ujjwal Gupta:   We dedicate about 14 years of our lives at school – 9 months of every year and at least 6 hours of each day! The influence of the time spent at school greatly defines us as individuals. Our mind is a heap of impressions. […]

 May 1, 2015 | By Nandika Kumari and Ujjwal Gupta:   I spent half my adult life locked behind the bathroom door, slipping my hand into my underwear. This night was like any other. Finally, I struggled into my pajamas and walked back into my room. Carefully placing my crutches by the bedside, I collapsed […]