Category: SHRUTI PUSHKARNA

By Shruti Pushkarna

The Delhi weather has been delightful for the past couple of days. It’s what prompts you to go for a drive on an impulse. Or grab a sumptuous meal at your favourite restaurant. Or head out for a staycation at one of the boutique resorts on the outskirts of the capital.

Well, the sudden change in temperatures also brings in unexpected bouts of illnesses and before you can do all the fun things, you are waiting in a doctor’s clinic or a pathology lab for a diagnosis.

Whether you follow the heart or a more logical path, either way you get where you have to be, without thinking too much. I’m talking of a restaurant, hotel, or a hospital. But not everyone is as lucky as you are.

At least not persons with disability or chronic illness. Have you ever wondered that spontaneity is not an option in the barrier-ridden lives of millions of people? In fact, it’s worse. Not even careful planning can land them in some places because of sheer thoughtlessness that leads to inaccessibility.

When it comes to travel, medical healthcare, or amusement of any sorts, persons with disability and those living with chronic illness are left struggling because of the barriers in access to various places, products, and services.

Foremost, let’s understand how many people we are talking about here. As per Census 2011, out of the 1.23 billion population, over 21 million live with some form of disability. According to the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India, 55 per cent people above the age of 60 suffer from a chronic illness. And as per the last census, that’s 8.6 per cent of India’s population, so 103 million elderlies. And chronic illness is not limited to people above sixty years of age. In fact, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 recognises certain chronic conditions in the 21 types of disabilities, these can be genetic or acquired.

Notwithstanding the Census 2011 data is old and heavily undercounts persons with disabilities. It’s a large enough number for us, the government, the private sector, and the media to ignore.

As a primary caregiver to a parent with a chronic autoimmune disorder, I encounter various hurdles in all the areas mentioned above. The last time we had to go for an X-Ray and an Ultrasound, it took us an hour and several phone calls to determine a place where the wheelchair could enter the laboratory. Usually, our first choice is to go to a hospital but when that doesn’t work out for whatever reason, the inaccessibility of most neighbourhood pathology labs glares at us.

Anyway, once you have managed to enter a lab with wide enough doors for a wheelchair, the discomfort and lack of dignity is what you brace for, next. The patient with zero mobility is lifted up and down, pushed sideways by random strangers, who are dressed as attendants, but lack the knowledge, empathy, and training to handle complicated medical cases.

And good luck if you are in for a whole abdomen ultrasound, nursing a full bladder, desperate to ease yourself. Because fate is what you are counting on to find a large enough toilet built with access needs in mind.

Toilets are the same story in hotels and restaurants as well. Even big chain hotels which openly propagate their diversity goals to find a spot in the prevalent inclusion agenda, are non-compliant when it comes to infrastructural accessibility guidelines.

My mother and I were surprised at the shoddy access offerings at the most luxurious (and expensive) hotel in New Delhi in a more recent visit. Although I must add that the hotel staff were kind and eager to help. Before I knew it, someone took the wheelchair away from me and pushed her all the way inside the restaurant. It was only on our way out that the glorious display began to show some cracks. There wasn’t a separate accessible washroom. I couldn’t wheel her in the ladies’ room. After pestering the staff for some time, we discovered that the men’s toilet could be accessed. As we headed out, I pushed her down the ramp in my usual matter-of-fact way, except I almost lost balance because the slope was too steep!

Despite the rush of anger experienced in situations like these, one finds hope in national campaigns like ‘Accessible India’. Compliance maybe a problem, but the sentiment is right, and it has created awareness. The need of the hour is to propel the inclusion agenda with full thrust.

For those of you unfamiliar with the subject, the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry revised the Harmonised Guidelines and Standards for Universal Accessibility in 2021, to make India’s cities truly inclusive.

Then how do these places, institutions, businesses get away with it? Doesn’t the nation want to know? Doesn’t any daily want to highlight the brutal disregard for a population so large? Doesn’t any television news channel want to lend a bit of shrill during primetime to these voiceless masses?

So why are we publishing this column on an A&M site? Well, we strongly feel that the media can dramatically transform the world of persons with disabilities. And this series can help bring forth issues that the media must champion to create a truly inclusive and accessible India. To write this column, we invited Shruti Pushkarna, a former journalist who is now a disability inclusion advocate based in New Delhi. Her views here are personal. To access the archives of her 70-odd columns, please visit: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/ columns/shruti-pushkarna/

If you have a view on the issue or would like to align with MxMIndia on this cause, write to us at editor [at] mxmindia.com.

By Shruti Pushkarna

The increased discourse on diversity and inclusion has brought another term into common parlance, intersectionality. It refers to the interconnected relationship of social categorisations like gender, race, caste, colour, sexual orientation, disability and so on. Intersectionality is about the different aspects of a person’s identity that make him or her vulnerable to discrimination and oppression. For instance, within disability, women with disabilities are said to be doubly marginalized, because of their gender as well as physical and/or mental limitation.

At the recent Nasscom Global Inclusion Summit in Bengaluru, this term was repeatedly referred to, by DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) experts, corporate honchos, inclusion advocates and activists. I was part of a workshop on Inclusion in Technology Products and Services, where groups of professionals engaged in an activity to understand day-to-day challenges faced by diverse identities. And quite a few participants found it hard to comprehend scenarios where more than one form of diversity added to the complexity of the problem and made it that much more complicated to solve. So, while people may find it easier to talk about transgender and disabled identities separately, their combination becomes convoluted. And the myriad perils in the daily life of a transgender with disability appear overwhelming.

But why am I ranting about intersectionality and complex ostracised identities?

Recently, I woke up to a rather disturbing video shared in multiple WhatsApp groups. It was the video of a man urinating on the face of another man, and the incident took place in Sidhi, Madhya Pradesh. As I scrolled through my messages and Twitter feed, I discovered that the victim was a person with mental illness and a member of a tribal community. He was also poor. This intersectionality certainly made him powerless in many ways, compared to the perpetrator.

As one tweet indicated, the heinous act was carried out by a representative of the ruling party’s MLA in reaction to the tribal labourer’s demand for wages. Another layer of power politics in the societal hierarchy.

https://twitter.com/KashifKakvi/status/1676211020522741760

Thanks to social media, the viral video circulated at light speed, and several reactions poured in, condemning the monstrosity of Pravesh Shukla. Exasperated with the imagery of gross inhumanity, I eagerly awaited news reports highlighting the crime.

News media couldn’t ignore the story. Several headlines cited the brutal act, labeling it shameful and outrageous. And Shukla was soon arrested. A crime was committed, someone recorded and released it to the public. A hue and cry ensued. The offender was caught.

Seems right, doesn’t it? Except it isn’t. The media and political narrative around the incident stripped away the intersectional identity of the victim. What was emphasised in the reportage was his tribal identity juxtaposed with the political allegiance of the culprit. Apart from The Print which merely stated, ‘mentally ill tribal’, I didn’t find any reporting mentioning disability and the stigma experienced by lower caste poverty-stricken persons with disability. There was no mention of how disability often becomes the grounds for abuse because their existence is seen as a burden on the ableist society.

It was far more sensational to focus on the tribal identity which ignited a debate between the ruling party, opposition, and activists. Especially with the Madhya Pradesh elections coming up later this year. The conversation shifted from the victim who is mentally ill and deprived in more ways than one, to vote bank politics and hypocritical hurls between power-hungry leaders.

Congress Leader Kamal Nath hailed his party as the Scheduled Tribes’ messiah,

आज मेरा मन मध्य प्रदेश के आदिवासी भाई बहनों के अपमान की घटनाओं से बहुत दुखी है। सीधी जिले में एक आदिवासी युवक के ऊपर भाजपा नेता के पेशाब करने का वीडियो देखकर रूह कांप जाती है। क्या सत्ता का नशा इस कदर भारतीय जनता पार्टी के नेताओं पर चढ़ गया है कि वे इंसान को इंसान नहीं समझ रहे।… pic.twitter.com/JWq84p67Ol

— Kamal Nath (@OfficeOfKNath) July 5, 2023

Protesting activists rallied support for Schedules Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), demanding action against the crime,

मध्यप्रदेश में गरीब आदिवासी व्यक्ति पर पेशाब करने वाले भाजपा के युवा नेता प्रवेश शुक्ला की यह शरारत और उद्दंडता असहनीय है। आदिवासियों के प्रति बीजेपी का यह असली चेहरा है। मप्र प्रशासन प्रवेश शुक्ला के विरूद्ध एससी एसटी एक्ट के तहत कड़ी कार्यवाही करें। #ArrestPraveshShukla pic.twitter.com/Yd95jIak1i

— Hansraj Meena (@HansrajMeena) July 4, 2023

In response, Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan invoked National Security Act against the accused and resorted to dramatic antics, washing the victim’s feet while making tall claims of respect for every citizen.

यह वीडियो मैं आपके साथ इसलिए साझा कर रहा हूँ कि सब समझ लें कि मध्यप्रदेश में शिवराज सिंह चौहान है, तो जनता भगवान है।

किसी के साथ भी अत्याचार बर्दाश्त नहीं किया जायेगा। राज्य के हर नागरिक का सम्मान मेरा सम्मान है। pic.twitter.com/vCuniVJyP0

— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) July 6, 2023

Both national and international media accentuated caste politics in India, specifically underlining the 1.53 crore underserved tribals of Madhya Pradesh and the 82 odd assembly seats reserved for SCs and STs.

While this is an equally pertinent issue which requires media and political attention, the layers of marginalisation didn’t seem to attract any prominent response from either group. Disability like always took a backseat, once again only confined to raging discussions among the disability rights advocates.

I guess calling them ‘divyang’ absolves humanity of all crimes.

So why are we publishing this column on an A&M site? Well, we strongly feel that the media can dramatically transform the world of persons with disabilities. And this series can help bring forth issues that the media must champion to create a truly inclusive and accessible India. To write this column, we invited Shruti Pushkarna, a former journalist who is now a disability inclusion advocate based in New Delhi. Her views here are personal. To access the archives of her 75-odd columns, please visit: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/ columns/shruti-pushkarna/

If you have a view on the issues raise or would like to align with MxMIndia on this cause, write to us at editor [at] mxmindia.com.

By Shruti Pushkarna

Yesterday, August 23, 2023, India made history. We became the fourth country in the world to soft land on the moon and the first to touch down near the lunar south pole. Prime Minister Narendra Modi proudly broadcast India’s prowess in technology and science to the rest of the world. The ISRO Chairman and his entire team were ecstatic with the monumental accomplishment. And so was the average Indian citizen.

I was also glued to the television screen until the last few anxious seconds, and when the moment arrived, I leapt up involuntarily. Transforming into a cheering and cheerful compatriot.

Journalists, analysts, space experts, engineers, politicians, and scientists drummed up enthusiasm for the country’s scientific expertise and technological innovation. Looking at the nation’s progress into outer space, one can only imagine how many young adults must be aspiring to join this technological revolution.

More than 50 per cent of India’s population is below the age of 25. The success of this mission is bound to ignite a spark, encouraging students to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics or popularly known as STEM.

Out of the 2.68 crore disabled Indians, 17% are in the age group of 10-19 years, and 16% are in the age group of 20-29 years (as per Census 2011).

It’s obvious that this young community too has ambitions and dreams. Fortunately, disability does not limit the imagination. Although limited imagination might prove disabling.

There’s no denying that technology has grown leaps and bounds in the past few years, and that it has leveled the playing field for marginalized communities. But there is also no denying that millions of people don’t have equal access to quality education.

Did you know that several students with vision impairment drop out of school after finishing Class 8? Did you know that most blind students are discouraged from taking up STEM subjects? Schools and colleges implicitly and sometimes even explicitly dissuade them from studying higher levels of science and maths.

Science is not just a subject but a means to comprehend and explain our surroundings. It encourages students to reason and think logically. But the inadequacies in teacher training, lack of assistive tools and technology and inaccessible study material, keeps STEM subjects out of reach for students with disabilities.

There’s also a lack of awareness among educational institutions, teachers, and the general public about the needs and potential of individuals with disabilities. This leads to discrimination and exclusion.

A 2013 report published by Xavier’s Resource Centre for the Visually Challenged (XRCVC) cites: “A combination of fear, doubt, lack of knowledge, lack of teacher training skills, and resources have held STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Maths) education for blind and low-vision students the world over, and similarly in India, hostage. They have combined to give the false verdict, ‘It is not possible!’ These views, over time, have become institutionalized as part of education systems. This, in turn, has had significant impact on lives and career choices of blind and low-vision persons. When a trend or an experience becomes part of collective social consciousness for a long time, imaginations assume the power of truths, relegating fact to the realm of fiction. It is critical to the success of blind students that educators help dispel misconceptions among sighted students as to what blind people are capable of.”

Despite the absence of systemic will and adequate investment in infrastructure, technology and training, role models continue to motivate aspiring scholars to pursue these disciplines.

Dr Satendra Singh is a disability rights activist and a medical professional. He contracted poliomyelitis when he was nine months old but went on to complete a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery and later on Doctor of Medicine in Physiology. He is an advocate for inclusive education and has worked to promote accessibility in medical education.

Kartik Sawhney is a disability advocate, entrepreneur and technologist who works to empower people with disabilities using technology, community, and support services. He is the first blind student to pursue science education in high school in India. A computer science graduate of Stanford University, Kartik co-founded Project StemAccess (now I-Stem) that provides technical training, mentorship and hands-on opportunities to blind math and science students across the country.

Dipendra Manocha is an advocate for people with print disabilities. He is the Founder and Managing Trustee of Saksham (NGO) and Director (Developing Countries) with Daisy Consortium, a network of over 100 global organisations registered in Zurich, Switzerland.

Blind since childhood, Manocha has used technology to build a communications and training infrastructure that enables the disabled to put their abilities to work alongside other citizens in mainstream society.

There are several organisations in India focused on providing STEM-skilling opportunities specifically tailored for persons with disabilities. The work of exemplary individuals and institutions is testament to possibilities of inclusive and accessible education and the impact on the lives of disabled students.

Agreed that teaching STEM subjects can present unique challenges for educators, but these gaps can be bridged with inclusive infrastructure, accessible learning material, assistive technologies, online learning platforms, Virtual Reality (VR ) technology, communication aids, et cetera.

More importantly, there is a need to address negative attitudes and societal stigmas for fostering a conducive education environment for all. While there are laws and policies in place, effective implementation at all levels, from government bodies to individual schools, is crucial. The process of ensuring quality education and opportunities for disabled youth requires focus, investment, and commitment from all stakeholders.

It’s true that landing on the moon and educating disabled youth involves different challenges, priorities, and complexities. But they are equally important goals for a developing nation with a rapidly growing economy.

Here’s hoping for a tomorrow where Indians will celebrate inclusion and equity with similar fervour!

Wondering why MxMIndia publishes a disability advocacy column? Well, we strongly feel that the media can dramatically transform the world of persons with disabilities. And this series can help bring forth issues that the media must champion to create a truly inclusive and accessible India. To write this column, we invited Shruti Pushkarna, a former journalist who is now a disability inclusion advocate based in New Delhi. Her views here are personal. To access the archives of her 75-plus columns, please visit: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/ columns/shruti-pushkarna/

If you have a view on the issues raise or would like to align with MxMIndia on this cause, write to us at editor [at] mxmindia.com.

By Shruti Pushkarna

In my last piece (https://www.mxmindia.com/columns/will-persons-with-disabilities-enjoy-the-icc-world-cup-coverage/), I highlighted the issues of inaccessibility of mainstream sports coverage. Whether it’s Wimbledon, FIFA World Cup, Asian Games or the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, viewers with different disabilities often lose out on the sporting action because the channels of mass media don’t necessarily communicate to this so-called minority.

Our communication, information and programming are packaged overlooking the principles of universal design and access for all. We (read media) assume that persons with disabilities don’t participate in mainstream (normal) activities or use the same channels of media consumption.

As I wrote in my previous piece, this is not an easy problem to solve given the various stakeholders, costs, and more importantly, the attitudinal barriers, that prevent us from including people with diverse needs. So where can we start?

We can begin with an understanding of some ways of making sports coverage accessible for different viewers. Here’s a list of five ways (each) to help persons with Vision Impairment, Hearing Impairment and Neurodiversity enjoy and engage with sporting events, with equal excitement.

5 ways to make sports accessible for blind and visually impaired people

1. Audio description- Narrate key elements of the game like the player movements, location of the ball and any other notable event on the field. This commentary should be concise and in sync with the broadcast.

2. Audio commentary- Along with play-by-play commentary, provide supplementary commentary that describes the atmosphere, players’ and crowd reactions, emotions et cetera.

3. Accessible apps and websites- Create accessible platforms where blind viewers can check live scores, schedules, player profiles and more, with the help of screen reading software. Images should have alternate text added, for access.

4. Inclusive announcers- Train and educate sports commentators and announcers about the needs of visually impaired fans. This means the need to be descriptive without assuming that visuals speak for themselves.

5. Accessible graphics- Ensure that on-screen scorecards and other graphics are accessible with screen readers or other assistive technology, so the blind viewers can keep a tab on the statistics independently.

5 ways to make sports accessible for persons with hearing impairment

1. Closed captioning- Provide closed captions for all audio commentary, interviews, and any other audio content. Real-time captioning is possible with the help of AI tools and software, that convert speech into text automatically.

2. Sign Language Interpreters- Having a sign language interpreter for live events, especially for important announcements or interviews, makes it possible for deaf viewers to consume information easily and directly.

3. Text-based updates- Provide real-time updates in text format, like displaying score changes, highlights and more, on screen. These can also be made available through an app or website, allowing deaf fans to follow the game.

4. Visual alerts- Incorporate visual cues like flashing lights or graphics to signal important events in the game like a goal, wicket, replay or appeal. These visual indicators can help the hearing impaired viewers identify critical moments in a match/tournament.

5. Inclusive social media content- Ensure all digital content shared on social media platforms has subtitles or closed captions for the deaf audience. This includes interviews, analysis, behind-the-scenes et cetera.

5 ways to make sports accessible for neurodivergent individuals

1. Sensory-friendly options- Provide sensory-sensitive viewing options for neurodivergent fans as they find it difficult to handle any sort of sensory overload. For instance, a quiet feed with minimal crowd noise and commentary, ability to customise audio levels to suit individual preferences, low background music et cetera.

2. Predictable and clear graphics- Ensure on-screen graphic content is easy to read, consistent and isn’t too distracting from the main visual content. Frequent flashing graphics or animations or too many overlays can be overwhelming for this audience.

3. Visual schedules and timers- Display clear timelines or countdowns for neurodivergent individuals to anticipate breaks, half-time, the end of the game. Predictable viewing experience causes less anxiety for these viewers.

4. Accessible content- Create easy to navigate content on digital and mobile platforms that help viewers find specific games, player profiles or highlights. Use clean icons and labels to simplify the selection of desired content.

5. Alternative viewing modes- Offer the option of switching to a simplified or augmented reality view that enhances the clarity of player movement, ball tracking and any other important events in the game.

Over and above, it is useful to establish communication channels for disabled groups to share feedback on content (and platform) accessibility. By implementing these changes/additions, sports broadcasters and media organisations can create an inclusive and improved fan experience for persons with disabilities.

Wondering why MxMIndia publishes a disability advocacy column? Well, we strongly feel that the media can dramatically transform the world for persons with disabilities. This series attempts to help bring forth issues that the media must champion to create a truly inclusive and accessible India. Writing  this column is Shruti Pushkarna, a former journalist and now a disability inclusion advocate based in New Delhi. Her views here are personal. To access the archives of her 80-odd columns, please visit: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/ columns/shruti-pushkarna/

If you have a view on the issues raise or would like to align with MxMIndia on this cause, write to us at editor [at] mxmindia.com.

By Shruti Pushkarna

Festivities are in the air. Weddings, Diwali, Bhai Dooj, Chhath Puja, it’s an action-packed November. Events that people bring people together, closely celebrating and exchanging happy moments. Also, events with a substantial economic impact, especially opulent Indian weddings. This year, the business from Indian weddings alone is estimated to be worth $51 billion.

I was part of a recent week-long celebration with close family and friends in a big fat Punjabi wedding. Away from home, tucked in a resort on the outskirts of the capital, we created memorable moments of joy. The organisers, hotel and event partners carefully crafted four distinctly themed events, vibrant with colours, music and dance.

I was awestruck by the grandeur of the venue, the décor, and the variety of food on offer. Except there was one hiccup. Access. For someone on a wheelchair or someone with ageing knees, the venue was partially inaccessible.

One of the sections had a stair-only access, with no ramp, and no elevator. My mother who was suitably decked up for her dearest niece’s wedding, had to be lifted by four staff members (very willing to help), to get to the stage area. And this was done several times as she wheeled in and out of her room to attend the various festivities. I also noticed elderly family members on both sides, finding it troublesome to go up and down the long-winding staircases.

This hotel, like most others, was packed with wedding bookings through the season. Two or three simultaneous arrangements were underway. There was no dearth of money being made. And the crew was quite hospitable. But when it comes to accessibility, it didn’t seem to be a priority. There was a ramp at the entrance and one at another outdoor section of the venue. But nothing that was suitably built for ease of access. It was not in sync with the prescribed guidelines.

The bathrooms too were inaccessible for someone confined to a wheelchair, making me wonder if only ‘fit and normal’ people are expected to attend joyous celebrations.

Of course, since one is used to the lack of access, we had quick responses ready for each of the barriers. Nothing could prevent us from having a good time! But I wondered how people who were less experienced and less prepared than us, managed to navigate the space with its set of challenges.

It also reminded me of the frustration experienced by model and activist, Virali Modi, at her own wedding last month. In a series of social media posts that instantly went viral, Virali shared her ordeal as she was lifted ‘like a piece of luggage’ up two flights of stairs, so she could get married at the Mumbai Registrar office in Khar. There was no lift or ramp, and the officer refused to come downstairs for her signatures on the documents.

PLEASE RT!

I am disabled and I got married at the Registrars Office at Khar Mumbai on 16/10/23. The office was on the 2nd floor WITHOUT a lift. They wouldn’t come downstairs for the signatures and I had to be carried up two flights of stairs to get married. pic.twitter.com/ZNCQF3gJRY

— Virali Modi (@Virali01) October 18, 2023

The most precious moment of her life turned into an exasperating one, because the infrastructure in the country is built overlooking the needs of millions of persons with disabilities. Virali also highlighted in one of her posts that this could be equally disgruntling for someone who had a fall or a temporary difficulty walking up the stairs.

As she posted pictures citing the steep stairway and rusty railings, I recalled every single time when the lift in our housing society broke down and my mother was left with no choice but to be riskily transported three floors up on a plastic chair as her wheelchair won’t leave any room for turning.

Why should anyone go through such fearful and undignified experience for a regular excursion out of home? I have seen individuals and business owners finding it hard to understand different forms of access for persons with different types of disabilities. But when comes to wheelchairs, it’s fairly easily comprehended.

In fact, if one were to ask a non-disabled person, what they picture when they think of a disabled person, the response is likely a wheelchair, crutch, or a walking stick. And the most implemented accessibility solutions, are ramps and elevators.

Wheelchairs are frequently depicted in media, advertising, and cultural representations when discussing or portraying disability. This visibility reinforces the connection between wheelchairs and disability in the public consciousness.

And yet, such huge gaps exist in both private and public infrastructure. How come the average Indian citizen is unfazed at a wedding or any other social setting, where one or two people face restricted participation?

Wheelchairs are commonly associated with disability because they are a mobility aid designed to assist individuals who have difficulty walking or cannot walk at all due to various physical impairments. The wheelchair is a device that enhances mobility, making it one of the most visible symbols of disability.

For many people with mobility impairments, wheelchairs represent a means of gaining independence and maintaining an active lifestyle. They allow individuals to move around and participate in various activities, both indoors and outdoors, without relying on assistance from others.

And yet, most news headlines reporting Viral Modi’s harassment at the registrar’s office, termed her as a person who is ‘wheelchair bound’!

One wonders if it’s the cost of removing barriers of access that prevents inclusion or the deterring societal mindset towards the invisible majority of persons with disabilities, including those with permanent, temporary and age-related impairments.

Wondering why MxMIndia publishes a disability advocacy column? Well, we strongly feel that the media can dramatically transform the world for persons with disabilities. This series attempts to help bring forth issues that the media must champion to create a truly inclusive and accessible India. Writing  this column is Shruti Pushkarna, a former journalist and now a disability inclusion advocate based in New Delhi. Her views here are personal. To access the archives of her 80-odd columns, please visit: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/ columns/shruti-pushkarna/

If you have a view on the issues raise or would like to align with MxMIndia on this cause, write to us at editor [at] mxmindia.com.