At the young age of 13, Bethany Hamilton was an upcoming surfing star. However, luck had something else in store for her. One day while surfing she had a bad encounter with a shark; she lost an arm to the gruesome incident. For any other person, this might have been the end of the road in life, but not for Bethany. She gathered courage and worked hard. With time she returned to surfing despite having just one arm.
"I don't need easy. I just need possible,” said Bethany.
Much like Bethany, there are several people in the world who either accidentally suffer from a disability or are born with it. Crudely, disability can be described as a physical, cognitive, sensory, or intellectual impairment in any part of the body. It mostly interferes with or hampers a person's ability to carry out everyday tasks.
But the most important thing to understand about disabilities is that it is a natural dysfunction of any body part, but it does not imply that the person fails or lacks willpower.
People who suffer from disabilities often face numerous challenges arising from the stigma and lack of awareness about disability. It should be our prerogative to treat them like we would anybody else. In order to support and give people with disabilities equal chances to participate in all aspects of life, it is crucial to building an inclusive society.
A common notion about disability is that once afflicted, an individual is somehow lesser than others. People believe that disabled individuals will somehow fall back into life. However, we fail to see that disabled people possess more strength and perseverance than the average person, owing to their difficult circumstances. There are many disabled individuals who have not only come to terms with their physical challenges but have gone on to achieve remarkable feats.
We bring to you the stories of two such Indian women, who suffer from some form of disability but have gone on to perform extraordinary services in their lives and society. Women with disabilities have a major contribution to society in various ways. They are serving as advocates and activists for equal rights and opportunities by using their experiences and knowledge to spread awareness. They are stereotype breakers and also challenge the barriers made by society.
There are many such examples where women with disabilities have gained success. We introduce you to Arunima Sinha and Malavika Iyer.
Arunima Sinha: Conquered Mount Everest
Arunima Sinha, a former national volleyball champion for India is the first woman amputee to summit Mount Everest. She was born on July 20, 1988, in Ambedkar Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India. Arunima was thrown out of a moving train in 2011 while defending herself from a robbery attempt, and she ultimately lost her left leg due to the accident.
After the incident, she was devastated and searched for a job. After getting several rejections, she was shattered because of her disability. Arunima hated the pettiness people showed to her. Then she decided to make her disability her strength and not her weakness. She decided to climb Mount Everest after the incident to show the world and herself that she can do whatever she wants to and overcome her disability. On 21 May 2013, she succeeded in her mission with the help and training of Bachendri Pal, the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest. She also made history by becoming the first female amputee to climb Mount Everest and Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa in the year 2014.
Arunima Sinha's achievements and accomplishments are:
First female amputee to summit Mt. Everest: Arunima became the first female amputee to climb Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world in 2013.
Summit Mt. Kilimanjaro: In 2014, she made a world record by becoming the first amputee to summit Africa's highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro.
Padma Shri Awardee: She received the fourth highest civilian award in India, the Padma Shri award in 2015 for her exceptional achievement in mountaineering.
Award in the Field of Adventure: Arunima received the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award, the highest national honor for exceptional achievement in the field of adventure.
Complete Seven Summits: She holds the record as the first female amputee to finish the Seven Summits which is the highest peak on each of the seven continents in 2019.
Writer: She is also a writer. "Born Again on the Mountain" is written by Arunima Sinha, a book that outlines the author's accomplishments and experiences of being a mountaineer.
Malvika Iyer: Activism to create an Inclusive World
An Indian activist for the rights of people with disabilities, motivational speaker, and bilateral amputee is Malvika Iyer. When she was just 13 when a bomb explosion severally injured her and crushed her dreams. In the accident, she lost both her hands. However, this unfortunate accident did not stop her from dreaming about her aspirations and goals in her life. Instead, she used her challenges to become a powerful voice for people with disabilities.
Here are some of Malvika’s numerous contributions to society:
Activist for Disability rights: Malvika is a well-known activist for disability rights who fights for the rights of those people who are disabled or physically challenged. She promotes awareness of the difficulties or barriers faced by disabled people through her platform and works to make society more inclusive.
Inspirational speaker: Malvika is also an inspirational speaker who motivates and empowers her listeners through her thoughts. She shares her example and stories of resiliency and determination to inspire and encourage others to face their obstacles and overcome the challenges to achieve their goals.
Social worker: Malvika has a Ph.D. in social work and has served the society with various renowned organizations to promote the welfare of disabled persons. Additionally, she has worked on problems relating to disabilities with UNICEF and UNDP.
Author: Malvika is an inspirational writer. She is the author of the book named "I Inspire" which mentions her experiences and journey as an activist for disability rights and an inspirational speaker.
Malvika has achieved numerous accolades and awards for her efforts which include the highest civilian award for women in India, the 'Nari Shakti Puraskar.'
Malvika has a significant contribution to society and also sets an example for a lot of people. She has demonstrated that having a disability does not put any obstacle to being successful in life and that such individuals with disabilities can achieve amazing things.
