Six disabled individuals get Hellen Keller Award

The National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) Monday conferred the 15th Hellen Keller Award to six disabled individuals from across the country.

Born with visual impairment, Ankit Rajiv Jindal, marketing manager with Wipro Infotech, Asish Jha from IBM and Mahantesh G. Kivadasannavar, an entrepreneur in Bangalore, were presented with the awards for achievement in the corporate world and becoming social entrepreneurs.

"I have achieved success in the corporate field. So I started a social enterprise for creating inclusive environment. KickStart cabs is India's first inclusive cab service for people with disability and will employ women and transgenders as drivers," the 28-year-old Jindal told IANS.

Echoing the same feeling, Kivadasannavar told IANS: "I started the Samarthanam Trust for the disabled to bring people with disability into mainstream education and training."

Kajal Dhawan, a resident of Delhi who was born with hearing impairment, is currently an executive officer at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

"Apart from achieving professional success, she is also an ace badminton player at the national and international levels. She has been trying to empower people with hearing impairment as the president of Delhi Foundation of Deaf Women," Kajal's father S.K. Dhawan, who accompanied her to the award programme, told IANS.

The other two individuals presented with the award were Bhavanishankar R., an electrical engineer born with cerebral palsy, and wheelchair-bound Nita Paragbhai Panchal, who has been working for people with disability since 2005.

"Since its inception, the NCPEDP has been the frontrunner in promoting equal opportunities for people with disabilities. The Hellen Keller Award is one such effort since 1999," said NCPEDP honorary director Javed Adibi.