10 Famous Disabled Persons in India Who Overcame Challenges

India is a country full of different cultures and colors, and there are many amazing stories of people showing great strength and courage. Some of these people have faced big challenges with their bodies or minds, but they didn’t let that stop them. They worked hard and achieved great things and are still achieving great things, the success path never stopped for them and will never stop. Sharing their stories is important because it not only celebrates their success but also encourages others to face their challenges with courage.

Famous Indian People with Disabilities

Sudha Chandran

Brief Biography: Sudha Chandran is a famous Indian dancer and actress. Even after losing her leg in an accident, she continued to dance and has amazed everyone with her talent. And today she has a great personality not just because of her dancing skills, anyone can dance but showing true strength and putting all the heart in the dance is what made her very great. 

Disability: Sudha lost her right leg in a road accident, but she didn’t let that stop her from dancing, why only dancing it did not stop her from dreaming, achieving what she wants. And that’s called a true passion.

Challenges Faced: She faced many physical and emotional difficulties, but she was determined and learned to dance with a prosthetic leg and that made her stand out of the crowd. 

Impact: Sudha's story shows the strength of the human spirit. She has inspired many people to follow their dreams, no matter what challenges they face, because one day everything you suffered will be worth it. 

Ravindra Jain

Brief Biography: Ravindra Jain was a well-known music composer and songwriter. Despite being blind, he became one of India's most loved musicians. Being blind did not take his creativity and the talent of writing. He can see more than us - he can feel the music and he is just made for music and music for him. 

Disability: Ravindra was born blind, but he had a natural gift for music. Boring blind is not a crime but making that excuse and not doing anything in life is a crime, Please remember, because as we Atypical Advantage say “Disability is not an excuse”. 

Challenges Faced: Even though he couldn’t see, Ravindra created some of the most beautiful songs in Indian cinema, proving that talent has no limits. 

Impact: His work continues to inspire musicians and artists around the world, showing that creativity can shine through, no matter the challenges. He can’t see but he can feel every note of the music, he understands the depth of his own written songs. He created each and every song from his heart and that’s the reason it is reaching our hearts. 

Jyoti Amge

Brief Biography: Jyoti Amge is the world’s shortest living woman, recognized by the Guinness World Records. Despite her height, she has achieved a lot in the entertainment industry.

Disability: Jyoti has a condition called dwarfism, which makes her very short—just 2 feet 0.6 inches tall.

Challenges Faced: Jyoti faced bullying and discrimination, but she turned these challenges into strengths and became an actress and TV personality.

Impact: Her story encourages people to embrace their uniqueness and break free from society’s expectations. Yes, because our height doesn’t decide who we are and what we can achieve. Maybe her height is short but her dreams are as big as the world can imagine. 

Ajit Jogi

Brief Biography: Ajit Jogi was an important Indian politician and the first Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. He overcame both physical and societal challenges in his life.

Disability: Ajit Jogi was paralyzed from the waist down after a car accident in 2004. Yes, his paralyzed body didn’t let the state get paralyzed, the state always moved to success and improvement. 

Challenges Faced: Despite being paralyzed, he continued to be an active political leader, showing great strength and determination.

Impact: Jogi’s life and career give hope to people facing physical disabilities, showing that leadership and service are possible, no matter the challenges. Yes, his ability, dreams, hope were as free as birds that he flew and with him the entire state flew. 

Arunima Sinha

Brief Biography: Arunima Sinha is the first female amputee to climb Mount Everest.

Disability: Arunima lost her left leg in a terrible train accident, which could have ended her dreams.

Challenges Faced: Instead of giving up, Arunima trained hard and became a symbol of courage by reaching the top of Everest.

Impact: Her story is a powerful example of how determination can turn a disability into a path to greatness. Yes, with the help of right leg she did the right thing in life. Mount Everest never said you can’t reach me without legs - all you have to have is Hope and that’s what Arunima showed. In front of her hope, even Mount Everest became the smallest. 

Preethi Srinivasan

Brief Biography: Preethi Srinivasan was a national-level swimmer and the captain of the Tamil Nadu women's cricket team until a tragic accident left her paralyzed.

Disability: Preethi was paralyzed from the neck down after a diving accident.

Challenges Faced: Despite being paralyzed, she became a motivational speaker and advocate for people with disabilities.

Impact: Preethi’s work inspires many to look beyond their limitations and find purpose in life. She just did not learn swimming, she learnt how to survive in the world full of water, every time she swims - tells the world that I am here and I am here to live and not compromise. 

Dr. Suresh H. Advani

Brief Biography: Dr. Suresh H. Advani is a famous doctor who was the first to do bone marrow transplants in India.

Disability: Dr. Advani got polio when he was eight years old, which made it hard for him to move around.

Challenges Faced: Despite his disability, he became one of the most respected cancer doctors in India, helping many patients.

Impact: Dr. Advani’s career shows that physical limitations can be overcome with hard work and intelligence. Despite him having polio, he did not stop, he continued to treat others. That’s the sign of a true doctor, who faced problems now doesn’t want the world to face the same. 

Girish Sharma

Brief Biography: Girish Sharma is an Indian para-badminton player who lost a leg in a train accident when he was a child.

Disability: Girish lost one leg in the accident, but he didn’t let that stop him from loving sports.

Challenges Faced: He learned to play badminton with a prosthetic leg and won many championships, both in India and around the world.

Impact: His story is a reminder that sports can be a great way for people with disabilities to show their talents. In front of him, even the Paralympics became so small that now he is a badminton champion. He did not let his leg from following his passion and running towards the dreams. 

Sai Prasad Vishwanathan

Brief Biography: Sai Prasad Vishwanathan is an Indian skydiver and the first person with a disability to skydive over Antarctica.

Disability: Sai Prasad has a spinal cord injury that limits his movement.

Challenges Faced: Even with his physical challenges, he pursued extreme sports and became a symbol of bravery and adventure.

Impact: Sai Prasad’s achievements encourage others with disabilities to push the limits of what is possible. He literally took - What’s the spinal injury when I want to fly high? He literally taught the world that I am physically disabled that doesn’t stop me from flying high. We are so proud of him, he is living the dream of each and every person who wants to achieve something in life. 

Sadhna Dhand

Brief Biography: Sadhna Dhand is a motivational speaker and author who lost her eyesight but gained a new vision for life.

Disability: Sadhna lost her eyesight completely due to a degenerative eye condition.

Challenges Faced: She overcame the challenges of blindness and turned to spirituality and writing, inspiring many.

Impact: Sadhna’s journey teaches us that true vision comes from within, and no disability can dim the light of the human spirit.

Malathi Krishnamurthy Holla

Brief Biography: Malathi Krishnamurthy Holla is an Indian para-athlete who has won over 400 medals in various national and international events.

Disability: Malathi was affected by polio, which left her physically disabled.

Challenges Faced: Despite her disability, she has become one of India’s most decorated athletes.

Impact: Her achievements have inspired many to take up sports and challenge societal perceptions of disability.

How Does Atypical Advantage Help People with Disabilities?

Job Portal

Atypical Advantage is a special job portal designed to help individuals with disabilities find employment. It connects talented disabled people with employers who appreciate and value their skills.

Atypical Academy

Atypical Academy offers skill development courses to help disabled individuals improve their talents. These courses make them more competitive in the job market, giving them better chances to succeed in their careers.

Conclusion

It’s time to rethink the term "disabled." These individuals have shown us that they are more than capable of achieving greatness. Their stories are not just about overcoming challenges but also about redefining what it means to be "able." They inspire us all to look beyond physical limitations and see the limitless potential within.

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 15,000+ talents with disabilities and have worked with 250+ corporates within a short span of 3 years. We were also featured on Shark Tank Season 2 and were declared the winner of the prestigious National Startup Award under the social impact category by the Union Government. For more information, visit our website here.