Famous Disabled Women Achievers in India

Famous Disabled Women Achievers in India

We often hear that women can’t do anything, especially in India. But let me tell you something that will blow your mind and change the way that we see life. Just imagine climbing big mountains, winning many medals national and international and leading important projects in the big MNC’s - Yes all the achievements are of womens moreover it’s a achievements of PwD. Today we are celebrating these women who have inspired us a lot but somehow their stories are lost - so here we are to remind you of the wonders that they brought to the world. 

Inspiring Women with Disabilities in India

Arunima Sinha

Arunima’s life completely changed after she lost her leg in a train accident. Most of us see this as a setback but she saw it as the first stepping stone towards success. She did something really amazing that no one could even imagine, especially PwD - She literally went on to climb Mount Everest, making her the first PwD woman to achieve such a feat. 

Disability: Arunima Sinha lost her leg in the train accident in 2011 while traveling in the train. She was pushed by the thieves which in return resulted in her losing her left leg below the knee. 

Challenges faced: After the accident, Arunima faced not only physical pain but also impacted her very badly mentally. She literally struggled a lot in adjusting to her new life. Society doubted her because of her disability but Arunima’s spirit was way stronger than society’s doubt. 

Impact: Arunima’s achievement has touched millions of hearts. She became the first female to climb Mount Everest, she proved that disability cannot stop her from what she wants to achieve. She is also a motivational speaker, author and the role model who is dedicated to encourage others to pursue their dreams no matter what. She proved that disability is nothing but the state of mind even the disability has “ability”. She has shown that with courage and confidence in one self nothing can stop you from climbing the biggest mountain in the world. 

Malathi Krishnamurthy 

Malathi is India's fastest para-athletes and a symbol of spirit. She was born with polio. Every problem that was thrown at her to become and celebrate as sportswomen. 

Disability: Malathi was paralyzed due to polio, a condition that affects the nervous system and leads to muscle weakness.

Challenges faced: Despite being paralyzed from the waist down, she never gave up on her dreams. The road to success was filled with difficulties - she underwent 30 surgeries and countless hours of treatments. Yet her dream of becoming athletic was unshakeable. She faced physical pain, society never accepted her, emotional struggles but the passion to become athletic always pushed her. 

Impact: Malathi has won more than 400 medals in her career as an athlete both nationally and international events. Her journey inspires us a lot to pursue our passion no matter what - no matter if you're a person with or without disability, to push the limit of their potential. She always proved that no challenge is greater than your will power. She is the symbol of strength and hope. 

Preethi Srinivasan

Preethi Srinivasan is a cricketer and the advocate for the disability rights, whose personal experience has motivated her to fight for all the PwD to get their rights in the society. 

Disability: Preethi’s life changed after a tragic swimming accident that left her paralyzed from the neck down.

Challenges faced: Preethi was an aspiring cricketer and accomplished athletic before losing her leg. Losing her leg - mobility was the major challenge that she faced. However, instead of losing her hopes, Preethi adapted new life with courage and confidence. She faced lots of challenges both physically and mentally. There was a lack of support by the society in India.

Impact: Preethi has a mission to help others who are facing problems like her. She is the founder of “Soulfree”, an organization that supports individuals with spinal cord injuries, offering them resources and consultancy. This organization became an impact in others lives - she told her stories to others and encouraged everyone to do everything they wanted to do in life. She gave them the support they deserve in society. Preethi proved that losing a leg doesn’t mean losing hope. 

Nidhi Goyal

Nidhi Goyal is a disability rights activist, comedian and advocate for gender equality. Where people think women can’t do anything here she is doing three things at once. She has used her voice to speak on the popular platforms for women 's rights with little bit of humor to it. 

Disability: Nidhi lost her vision at a young age, an experience that she never thought she would face but it did not make any difference in pursuing her dream.

Challenges faced: Losing her sight was not easy for her, she faced lots of challenges physically and mentally. She faced dual challenges surviving in this society as women and also PwD. But Nishi never gave up - she rose up bringing all the attention to her and spoke about disability and gender equality. 

Impact: Nidhi is now a very famous voice for disability rights, especially for women with disabilities. She uses comedy as her tool to reach out to people and challenge society norms. As a public speaker and comedian, Nidhi’s unique approach has opened up important conversations about disability and inclusion. She lost her eyes but she showed the world the right vision. 

Manasi Joshi

Manasi Joshi is a world para-badminton champion and an inspiring personality who shows the world the power of self confidence. 

Disability: Manasi lost her leg in a road accident, an event that could have ended her career as an athlete. 

Challenges faced: After losing her leg, Manasi relearned how to walk and move. The process was not easy at all for her - she faced physical pain and was emotionally weak but her love for badminton did not let her stop. She kept on moving forward. She underwent training not only for physical strength but also for emotional support and to excel in her sports. 

Impact: Manasi went on to play in the world badminton championship, proving to the society that setbacks are always the symbol of strongest comeback. She inspired millions of people around the world facing similar challenges. Manasi is the testament of power of hard work and symbol of hope. She continues to use her platform to advocate for the rights of people with disabilities. She taught others to pursue their dream no matter how difficult the challenges are. 

Virali Modi 

Virali Modi is a disability rights activist and motivational speaker who fought a battle in India for the accessibility for PwD. 

Disability: Virali became paralyzed from the waist down after several illnesses.

Challenges faced: After losing her mobility, she only did not face physical pain but also the society doubted her. Accessing public toilets, spaces and basic tasks of everyday life became very hard for her. 

Impact: Virali Modi turned her personal struggle into a movement for changes to the society. She became an advocate for improving accessibility, especially in public transportations. She started the movement on how the PwD are being treated in India. She also improved the accessibility in the Indian Railway. She continues to fight for all the rights - she is on the mission to make the world a better place for PwD. She is the true inspiration. Her leg did not stop her from walking on the path that brings the changes to the world. She only did not walk up; she ran and kept running everyday. 

Rajalakshmi S.J.

Rajalakshmi S.J. is a software engineer, beauty pageant winner. She is an example of disability that cannot stop you from achieving your dream career. 

Disability: Rajalakshmi uses a wheelchair due to polio, which affected her mobility from a young age.

Challenges faced: Rajalakshmi faced many challenges from physical pain to society doubting her but she continued her steps towards the success path. She pursued her higher education in software engineering, breaking the barriers in a male-dominated field. She showed the world what a woman with disabilities can achieve. 

Impact: Rajalakshmi made history by winning the Miss.Wheelchair in India. She won for her beauty and proving disability is never a barrier when your willpower is strong. She continues to inspire women across the country to pursue their dream career no matter what challenges that they are facing. Her achievements in both the tech world and as a pageant winner show that beauty and talent come in all forms.

Deepa Narasimhan

Deepa Narasimhan is an advocate for workplace inclusion for the PwD creating an accessibility environment. 

Disability: Deepa has limited mobility due to muscular dystrophy, a condition that weakens the muscles over time.

Challenges faced: Deepa as an individual always found very difficult in the workplace due to lack of accessibility and awareness about the disability. Finding employment and navigating public accessibility was very challenging for her. 

Impact: Deepa started the movement to create awareness and inclusiveness in the workplace in India. Her advocacy has helped her in shaping the policy for the rights of PwD to ensure they are given the equal opportunity. She became the role model for others, showing that inclusion is not just the word but a necessary step in building the world into a better society. Through her work, Deepa helped millions of people gain employment and contributed to meaningful work to society. 

Suvarna Raj 

Suvarna Raj is a para-athlete and disability rights advocate who uses her platforms to fight for the PwD for better accessibility and inclusion. 

Disability: Suvarna suffered a spinal cord injury that left her paralyzed.

Challenges faced: Growing up, Suvarna faced lack of opportunities in the society because of her disability. Despite her being disabled she found interest in sports and pursued her career in athletics. She plays in both national and international events. 

Impact: Suvarna has performed from India in para-sports , winning several awards and medals. She is also an advocate who fights for the rights of PwD. She fights for a better society, inclusion, showing people that disability has as much to offer as anyone else. She not only got a better place in society for herself but she gave countless people a better place to live in. 

Vaishali Salavkar

Vaishali Salavkar is India’s first blind chess player to compete at the prestigious World Chess Olympiad.

Disability: Vaishali has been visually impaired since childhood, but her disability never stopped her from pursuing her love for chess.

Challenges faced: Vaishali had to overcome the limitations of her visual impairment to compete at an international level. Learning to play chess as a blind athlete requires immense concentration, memory, and strategy. She faced barriers that many others would not, but her passion for the game helped her rise through the ranks.

Impact: Vaishali’s participation in the World Chess Olympiad broke barriers for blind athletes in India. Her success has inspired countless individuals to take up the sport, proving that disability is no obstacle to achieving greatness. Her legacy in the world of chess continues to motivate aspiring athletes, with or without disabilities, to push the boundaries of what is possible.

Conclusion:

These amazing women have shown that disability is not a limitation but a source of strength. Through their hard work, passion, and never giving up, they have broken barriers and inspired millions worldwide. Despite facing big challenges, they have changed how society sees disability. They show us that true ability comes from the strength inside us. Their stories prove that human potential has no limits. They remind us that with courage, determination, and self-belief, anything is possible. They are living examples that greatness is not about the body but about what the mind and heart can achieve.

Atypical Advantage is India’s largest livelihood platform for Persons with Disabilities(PWD). Whether it is a singer looking for a show, a visual artist looking to sell their paintings, or job seekers with disabilities looking for career opportunities, it bridges the supply & demand side inefficiencies so that Persons with Disabilities can earn a dignified income. We have a large pool of 25,000+ talents with disabilities and have worked with 350+ corporates within a short span of 4 years. We were also featured on Shark Tank Season 2 and were declared the winner of the prestigious the National Startup Award for Social Impact, and the National Award for Best Organization empowering persons with disabilities in 2024, conferred by the Union Government.