May 2018 -

Monthly Archives: May 2018

Indian celebrities who didn’t let their disability get the better of them!

Indian celebrities who didn’t let their disability get the better of them!

They say disability is a state of mind, and these inspiring souls have proved it to be true! Be it taking centre stage with spellbinding performances that leave the audience speechless, or grabbing accolades and medals in sports that serve as inspiration for the rest of us, these celebrities have never let their disabilities get the better of them.

Sudha Chandran: A fine actress, and an acclaimed Indian classical dancer, Sudha Chandran needs no introduction. At the age of 16, Sudha met with an accident that ultimately led to the amputation of her leg. The setback, however, did not stop her from dancing, or dreaming. With a prosthetic Jaipur Foot, she went on to become a successful actress, and received many awards for her talent. Her unyielding spirit has been a source of inspiration for many.
Sudha-Chandran

H. Boniface Prabhu: Being a wheelchair tennis player may seem like an unthinkable vocation for some, but not for H. Boniface Prabhu. Despite turning into a quadriplegic at the age of 4, Prabhu went beyond his disability and chased his dreams with immense passion. His hard work and fervor made him a successful wheelchair tennis player, earning him a medal at the 1998 World Championships. In 1994, he received the Padma Shri from the government of India for his notable contribution to sports.
H-Boniface-Prabhu (2)

Hrithik Roshan: Hard to imagine, but true! A powerhouse of talent, Hrithik Roshan has the world at his feet, but a lot of people don’t know that the successful actor suffered from speech impairment. At the tender age of 6, Hrithik stammered, and had to go through many challenging speech therapy sessions in order to combat his disability. If it wasn’t for his sheer determination and persistence, we would not have had the privilege of seeing him on the big screen.
Hrithik-Roshan (2)

Rana Daggubati: Strong and fierce. These are the words that resonate with Rana Daggubati. Charming and talented, the actor is blind in one eye. Not many people knew this about him, until it was revealed in a video last year. Soon, the video went viral. The information came as a shock to everyone, since they never noticed Rana’s disability due to his larger than life personality and unstoppable enthusiasm towards work.
Rana-Daggubati

The way you look at life makes all the difference, and at the end of the day, it is pivotal for us to not limit ourselves. Disabilities come in all shapes and forms, and while it is important to work on bettering ourselves in every way possible, it is all the more important to not let those disabilities define us.

Mother’s day for mothers of children with special needs

Mother’s day for mothers of children with special needs

It goes without saying that no one in the world can replace the love and place of a mother. From teaching us how to tie our shoelaces for the first time, to guiding us to lead successful lives, being a mom is not an easy job. Yet these amazing women do it with such grace and care, and without a frown on their face.

To recognize and honour these loving and caring souls, who form a pivotal part and parcel of our lives, Mother’s Day was established in 1908. Since then, the day has turned into a popular tradition, wherein we pamper our moms with all sorts of wonderful things. But with that being said, the scenario is different for mothers of children with special needs.
mother day 1

For mothers of children with special needs, Mother’s Day rarely means a dinner out or jewellery gifts. They do celebrate the day, but they celebrate it in a different way. They find happiness in knowing that they are nurturing their child’s health as well as their own. They take satisfaction in keeping a positive attitude. They take pride in knowing a vast list of medical terminologies and education jargons. They feel happy to become experts on their child’s diagnosis and education plans.
mothers day 2

We, at Mata Bhagwanti Chadha Niketan meet with mothers of children with special needs on a regular basis. They all share their highs and lows with us and we love to interact with them. We understand being a mother of a child with special needs is not an easy job to do. That’s why we conduct training sessions that help them cope with constant pressure and help them raise and understand their kids in a better way. Not only this, we also conduct events that help mothers connect with other mothers of kids with special needs. This helps them share their experiences on a personal level.
mothers day 3

If you are a mom of a child with special needs, then we salute your efforts, and the unconditional love, with which you love and take care of the apple of your eye. We honour you for your constant outpouring of love and goodness. You are the backbone of your family, and no one can ever replace you!

¬Happy Mother’s Day to all of you.

Empowering the Specially-Abled with Innovations in Technology

Empowering the Specially-Abled with Innovations in Technology

‘Right to Communication’ is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as one of the most fundamental human right, but not all of us get the privilege of exercising this basic right to express and communicate. Certain physical and cognitive disorders make it impossible for nearly 1 billion people to communicate effectively. Imagine being able to think, feel, observe, and yet, not be understood. How would you feel if your freedom of expression was curtailed in such a manner?
On the bright side, however, there are people who are actively working to change the status quo with breakthrough innovations in assistive technology. On the occasion of this National Technology Day, let’s jot down some of the most useful technological inventions that hold the potential to significantly transform the lives of the specially-abled amongst us.

Assistive Technology for the Differently-Abled
1. Wearable technology
Lechal Smart Shoes: It’s like using GPS to navigate, but without looking at your smartphone. Lechal Smart Shoes are designed to be those helping hands that aid the visually-impaired in navigating through the world. For instance, one vibration on the left foot tells the user to take a left turn, while two vibrations on the right and one on the left notify a wrong turn.
shoes

Assistive Vision Smart Glasses: Built to help people with vision impairment, these smart glasses consist of 2 small cameras, GPS, gyroscope, headphones, compass, and a transparent OLED display. Using these hi-tech glasses, the blind can easily walk around unfamiliar places and identify obstacles on the way.
smart glasses

2. Apps
Vaakya: An app for the speech and hearing impaired, the Vaakya app works on the AAC (augmentative and alternate communication) principle. It is a picture-based app for Android smartphone users that also works in offline mode. With customisation as its core feature, it allows users to record full sentences in any language and associate them with a picture. It also allows to create multiple user accounts for the patient as well as the caregiver. Download here: http://bit.ly/2lLag23
vaakya app

Eye-D: The Eye-D app for the visually-challenged allows smartphones to talk back. The app offers features that make the blind person aware of his surroundings, navigate easily, and read out printed text. It helps the users function in a better way, by meeting most of their daily assistance needs.
eye-d

3. Mobility Devices
Skinniest Disability Scooter: A four-wheeled scooter designed for the disabled, the Skinniest Disability Scooter works the same as any other scooter, but with added features and convenience for the specially-abled. It’s like a motorised wheelchair that helps the disabled navigate through traffic at the top speed of 10 miles per hour. With a canopy and lockable doors, it provides safety and comfort while riding out on the road.
disability scooter

Assistive Cars (Turn Plus): Making cars accessible for persons with physical disabilities, Turn Plus seats can be easily installed in any car. The mechanism of these seats allow flexibility for specially-abled persons, without interfering with the vehicle’s structure and functioning.
assistive car

4. Assistive Devices
Braille eReader: A Kindle-style reader that helps the blind and partially-sighted indulge in the pleasures of reading. It also helps them understand graphics, figures and graphs.
assistive device

Sesame Smartphone: Normal smartphones are not equipped with features to assist people with special needs, but the Sesame Smartphone is. Its front facing camera captures even the smallest of head movements, keeping gesture recognition at its core. Voice control too is an integral part of this smartphone, giving a hands-free experience to the user.
sesame smartphone

By empowering those with special needs, technology as an assistive companion has made lives far more comfortable and convenient. Apart from raising their quality of life, such technological advancements aid inclusion and equality by attempting to level the playing field.
If you’re aware of any such tech inventions that can help change lives of the specially-abled, share with us. Let’s help each other live better.

The unstoppable Kartik Verma even with impaired hearing condition, delayed speech and language development condition

The unstoppable Kartik Verma even with impaired hearing condition, delayed speech and language development condition

Kartik is a 15-year-old boy hailing from Noida, India, with an impaired hearing condition with delayed speech and language development. Despite his communication disabilities, Kartik has been incessantly maintaining a good academic performance at school and is currently studying in the VIIIth standard. Kartik has not only been effectively overcoming an unimaginable disability with ease but has also not let it ever come in the way of his talents. His excellence in sports ranges from Karate, Jujutsu, Kung Fu to Taekwondo. Besides being an outstanding sports man, Kartik is a great dancer too. Proving to be an inspiration to hundreds of other people with disabilities, in 2018 Kartik was awarded as the ‘Best Dancer of the Year’ by MCBN.

He got the Silver Medal for India in Newaza -46Kg category in “World JU-Jitsu Championship-2018” at Abu Dhabi and created the history. This is the first medal for India in the History of Ju-Jitsu World Championship.

We would like to give special thanks to “Mr. Sensei Suresh Gopi”, President of Ju-Jitsu Association of India, “Sensei Vinay Joshi”, Joint Secretary, and North India for their valuable support as well as great congratulations to “Sensei Amit Arora”, Secretary General, Ju-Jitsu Association of Uttar Pradesh and also to the coach of Kartik Verma.

Jatin Kanojia, a kid with Cerebral Palsy leaving behind all odds

Jatin Kanojia, a kid with Cerebral Palsy leaving behind all odds

Jatin is a 25-year-old enthusiastic boy from Delhi’s Ghazipur. The boy is with Cerebral Palsy but has never let this define him. Despite his disabilities, Jatin worked hard to successfully complete his education by passing his XIIth standard exams through NIOS board and by completing his graduation from Delhi University. Refuting all impossibilities, Jatin displayed exceptional commitment towards living a normal life and joined the Wave Group in 2016 as a Computer Operator. Despite the odds working against him, Jatin has remained undeterred towards building a career and is working at his job with full vigor.