Nagpur’s Devanshi Joshi to get National Award as ‘Role Model’

 

 

 

Devanshi Anil Joshi has been selected for an award as ‘Role Model’ by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. The award will be presented to her at the hands of the President of India Ram Nath Kovind at Vigyan Bhavan on December 3, the International Day for Persons with Disability. Every year on this day, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment gives away awards in various categories to the Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) across the entire spectrum of physical and intellectual disabilities, to acknowledge and encourage their significant achievements, as well as the exemplary work done by various able-bodied persons, professionals and organisations rendering yeoman's service in the field. Devanshi had received similar award under the ‘Best Employee’ category in the year 2016. Devanshi Joshi is a 27-year-old empowered woman with Down syndrome. She has been breaking many stereotypes and misconceptions around intellectual disability through her pathbreaking achievements. Down syndrome is a type of intellectual disability (discovered by the scientist Dr Langdon Down, hence named after him).

 

This is a genetic disorder, wherein the 21st chromosome has one extra segment attached to it (known as ‘Trisomy 21’ in medical parlance), which results in cognitive and developmental delays. Originally hailing from Nagpur, Devanshi has been living in Delhi for more than a decade. She has total eight years of formal work experience as a regular, full-time employee. For the past two-and-half years, she has been working in the fashion department of Big Bazaar in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi. She is the first employee of the Future Group with intellectual disability, in the neuro-diversity category. Devanshi completes all the assigned tasks without seeking concessions, with great dedication, enthusiasm and responsibility, contributing at par with other team members. Her accomplishments are often recognized by her managers who reward her with appreciation and prizes. She has her own a credit card and a bank account, where her salary is deposited regularly every month.

 

Devanshi has cleared her 10th and 12th standard exams from the National Open School. She did her regular schooling till eighth standard in regular,inclusive school. Father of Devanshi, Anil Joshi while talking to ‘The Hitavada’ said, “We owe to Nagpur for Devanshi’s grooming. Hindu Dnyanpeeth School, her teacher Kumkum Ghosh, others, school management helped us to get Devanshi an inclusive education. Imparting inclusive education is very difficult. If it is not implemented properly, co-students can ill-treat children like Devanshi. But her school helped us a lot. She used to go to Bal Jagat, had her primary education in Fulwari Nursery School run by Anuradha Mundle at Laxmi Nagar that played a major role.” Kumkum Ghosh of Hindu Dnyanpeeth, Nikhil Mundle of Fulwari have expressed happiness over the achievement of Devanshi. Devanshi has received many recognitions including the national award as 'Best Employee' instituted by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, the Helen Keller award and many others.

 

Devanshi champions the cause of Rights of Persons with Disabilities, highlighting specific needs of those with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. She gets regularly invited on various online and offline platforms as self-advocate, to raise awareness in the society about the rights and challenges of persons with disabilities. In 2020, she was invited to speak in the programme hosted at the UN in Geneva. But as the event got postponed due to the pandemic, she shared her thoughts this year online in the presence of international dignitaries. Devanshi was honored by Special Olympics India as 'Youth Leader'. Election Commission of India selected her as their icon in their National Awareness Campaign in 2019 to motivate persons with disabilities to vote. Along with her parents, Devanshi featured in the award-winning documentary, 'Raising the Bar' covering the stories of select special persons with Down syndrome and their families from Australia and India. Devanshi is an amateur photographer, very active on social media, loves to travel and has visited diverse places in the country and abroad, including world's highest motorable pass at Khar Dung La and other high-altitude places.

 

Devanshi's father, Anil Joshi completed his tenure as programme director of Human Abilities and Accessibility initiative of IBM India Research Labs, New Delhi. He has also decorated many honorary posts like the General Secretary of 'Parivaar', the federation of associations of parents of persons with intellectual disabilities. Devanshi's mother, Rashmi is a homemaker and has dedicated her entire life to the upbringing and holistic development of Devanshi, right from her early years. As President of the Down Syndrome Parents Society, New Delhi, Rashmi is actively involved in organizing and participating in various indoor and outdoor events to encourage parents' participation. Anil and Rashmi took lot of efforts to groom Devanshi and now they are counselling and mentoring thousands of special families over many years, with active participation of Devanshi.