Harsha, a Nagpur resident who got paralysed in her legs 18 years ago, took centrestage at a recent Janata Darbar held by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari. She has rebuilt her independence, established her own income source, and appeared as an activist for mobility rights, using a wheelchair-to-scooter system. This made her stand out as a role model in the gathering. Her journey is one among many that reveal how persons with locomotive disabilities have been steadily pushing boundaries across India.

 

“Hassan Imam, a polio survivor from Bihar, travelled through 17 countries on a wheelchair, which included a six-month expedition from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, in order to judge accessibility across the country. His travels also extended to Bangladesh, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East,” shared Neomotion founder Siddharth Daga. Neomotion is the founding company of the scooter used by many with locomotive disabilities. Sport too has become a powerful arena for wheelchair users. “Twelve athletes competed on the global stage, using the scooter at the Japan Olympics, including India’s para shooter Mona Agarwal from Rajasthan, who secured a bronze medal in rifle shooting. Mobility challenges need not be a barrier to international excellence, as depicted by these inspirations,” Daga shared proudly. At the Janata Darbar, Siddharth Daga requested Gadkari’s support to expand access in Vidarbha.

 

“While more than 7,000 users across India are already benefiting, regions such as Vidarbha remain underserved compared to states like Tamil Nadu and Odisha, where Government programmes have enabled large-scale distribution,” he expressed. Beyond these individual examples, a larger shift is taking place across the country. “Wheelchair to scooter system users across the country have been reclaiming their place in public life, by working as delivery partners with Amazon and Zomato, running service centres and shops, travelling across continents, or competing in global sports,” Daga asserted.