Indian doctor honoured with disability service award in US

An Indian doctor and disability rights activist was today honoured with the prestigious Henry Viscardi Achievement Award in the US for raising awareness and improving the quality of life of people with disabilities.

Dr Satendra Singh, 40, the Associate Professor of Physiology at the University College of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, become the first Indian to get the international award which was first bestowed in March 2013 in the US.

John D Kemp, the American disability rights leader and the President and chief executive of the Viscardi center and the Henry Viscardi School in New York gave away the awards, the Viscardi centre said in a statement.
 

Singh, who played an integral role in making India's 2014 General Elections in New Delhi accessible to people with disabilities, said: "I dedicate this award to the perseverance and the resilience of each and every person with disability around the globe who is fighting discrimination".

"I felt very proud to sport the Indian flag badge on my chest while receiving the award here in the US," he said.

The Henry Viscardi Achievement Awards recognise exemplary leaders within the disability community and their extraordinary societal contributions, while remembering the spirit and legacy of The Viscardi Center's founder, Dr Henry Viscardi, Jr, who himself wore prosthetic legs.

As one of the world's leading advocates for people with disabilities, Viscardi served as a disability advisor to eight US Presidents from Franklin D Roosevelt to Jimmy Carter.