Bhavina, Nishad won the Paralympics silver for a country that does very little to its different citizens

Bhavinaben Patels won silver in the women’s singles class 4 table tennis event at the Tokyo Paralympics. He won India’s first medal at the Tokyo Games and also India’s first table tennis medal at the Paralympics. The 34-year-old wheelchair-fed athlete was followed by Nishad Kumar, who reached second silver in the men’s high jump at T47. Both are inspiring examples of what people of different abilities can achieve when given the right opportunities.

Unfortunately, these opportunities are often foreclosed in India because they lack a supportive infrastructure. Something as simple as access to public spaces or transportation can pose huge challenges for people with disabilities. According to the 2011 census, there were 2.68 million people in India who were counted as different abilities, of which 20% had mobility difficulties and 19% had vision problems. The governments ’flagship Accessible India campaign, launched in 2015 to make transport, public spaces and IT infrastructure differently friendly, has progressed at a shockingly slow pace. A report by Parliament’s Standing Committee recently stated that nine states and regions of the Union have so far had access to only 494, or 29.7% of all buildings identified.

Add to this obstacle the encounter of people with disabilities in education and working life. Again, according to the latest census, about 45% of people with various disabilities are illiterate and only 36% are part of the workforce. It is clear that policies aimed at empowering different talented people are not boosting India. An attitudinal maritime change that puts disability at the heart of policy-making is a first step. The criminal provisions of the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities must be implemented in states and ministries that do not meet accessibility goals. Only in this way can the enormous potential of people with various disabilities be unlimited. The Bhavina and Nishads silver should urge their country to do much more.

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