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On Mon, Dec 22, 2025 at 9:28 PM Sameer <[email protected]> wrote: > > > 8 Women With Disabilities Who Made Headlines In 2025 > > From winning world cups to campaigning for social justice, these 8 women > with disabilities redefined accessibility as a fundamental right. > > Vishal Sharma, Dec 22, 2025 > > > > 2025 was a year when the country finally recognised the need to hear the > stories of people with disabilities and saw some significant changes in the > narratives > > on disability. The country seemed to recognise the urgent need for > > accessibility > > and the fact that immediate action is the need of the hour. However, > needless to say a lot is yet to be done by both the government and society > as a whole > > for true inclusion and accessibility. > > > > The year 2025 turned out to be one when women with disabilities not just > made big achievements but broke many glass ceilings. They made news > headlines > > in sports, innovation, and activism. From winning inaugural world cups to > breaking records in able-bodied categories, the achievements of our female > stars > > once again proved the fact that disability lies in the inaccessible > infrastructure, in the binary systems and discriminatory attitudes and not > the people > > themselves. > > This list celebrates 8 trailblazers of India who with their resilience and > spirit, have not only realised their own dreams and the dreams of a > community > > long relegated to the margins of our country, but also sought a just and > accessible living environment that would be built for every Indian citizen. > > 1. Sheetal Devi (Archer) > > Source: Olympics > > At the 2025 World Para Archery Championships, Sheetal Devi, 18, secured > individual gold, but her glass ceiling moment was when she was selected for > the > > able-bodied > > national team > > for the Asia Cup in Jeddah. > > > > Born without arms, the archer began shooting using her legs and shoulders. > By competing with 60 able-bodied sportspersons in the compound women > category > > and securing the qualification, Sheetal Devi not only made a mark in the > history of the country’s sports but also effectively dismantled the binary > frameworks > > of the sporting world, which historically have prioritised able-bodied > people and reduced disabled sports to secluded para sports. > > > > At the 2025 World Para Archery Championships, Sheetal Devi, 18, secured > individual gold, but her glass ceiling moment was when she was selected for > the > > able-bodied > > national team > > for the Asia Cup in Jeddah. > > > > ‘Hume kisi ko jawab nahi dena… humara arrow jawab dega (We don’t have to > explain, our arrow will do that)’ – her coach’s remarks became a motto for > the > > young archer making her sporting journey in the world. > > > > 2. Nidhi Goyal (Comedian & Disability Rights Activist) > > Photo: UN Women/Susan Markisz > > Nidhi Goyal is a pioneer female disabled > > comedian > > and a disability rights activist. Nidhi Goyal introduced her > ‘Feminist-Disabled’ framework through the International Purple Fest and her > leadership at > > Rising Flame in 2025. > > > > She has shown the world that comedy can be an effective tool against > ableist and gendered norms, can help us to reach out to people and build > bridges that > > empower the people who have long neglected. By tapping into the gap > between art and policies as a public speaker and comedian, Nidhi has opened > up important > > conversations about consent, desire and leadership of > > disabled women. > > > > 3. Dr. Anjlee Agarwal (Policy Architect) > > Dr. Anjlee’s website > > With her leadership at ‘Sugamya Yatra‘, Dr Anjlee Agarwal made efforts to > incorporate disability inclusion in India’s urban transformation, by > demanding > > that ‘Universal Design’ be the baseline for India’s rapidly growing cities. > > > > As a member of the NITI Aayog CSO Committee, her work has focused on the > disability laws’ ‘implementation gap‘ – a space where progressive legal > protections > > often fail on the ground in making any significant improvements in > disabled people’s lives. > > > > As a member of the NITI Aayog CSO Committee, her work has focused on the > disability laws’ ‘implementation gap‘ – a space where progressive legal > protections > > often fail on the ground in making any significant improvements in > disabled people’s lives. Through her advocacy, she has been trying to > ensure that new > > infrastructure projects, from metro stations to government buildings, > should be built aiming at providing dignity to all citizens > > > > 4. Virali Modi (Public Speaker and Model) > > Source: YourStory.com > > Virali Modi, a renowned motivational speaker, is making history by using > her visibility to bring down the ‘aesthetic ableism‘ of urban cultural > spaces > > in India. By her regular capturing of daily navigation of accessibility in > a country rampant with new infra projects, she exposes the flawed > foundations > > of modern development which totally ignores the basic needs of millions of > citizens. In one of her reels, she put it effectively: ‘we don’t need your > sympathy, > > we need ramps, accessible washrooms, and footpaths. Disability is not the > problem, > > inaccessibility > > is.‘ > > > > Her activism on Instagram and social media this year promoted the right to > the city – to exist, to access the essentials – as a non-negotiable > political > > right. > > > > 5. Dr Rajalakshmi S.J. (Dentist and Pageant Winner) > > Source: X > > Dr Rajalakshmi S J is a dentist, educator, and wheelchair pageant winner. > Her NGO, SJ Foundation works for the visibility and representation of > persons > > with disabilities. Rajalakshmi personally brought down the ableism > prevalent in medical fields that long barred disabled bodies from > high-precision professions > > like surgery. Her work in 2025 has continued on her established path of > disability advocacy and seeking further steps towards real empowerment. > > > > 6. Indian Women’s Blind Cricket Team (Cricketers) > > Source: Female Cricket > > The Indian Women’s Blind Cricket Team became the first world champions in > November 2025 by winning the inaugural > > T20 World Cup. > > Their journey began with tough training days. Led by captain Deepika TC, > India defeated Nepal by seven wickets in the final played in the Sri Lankan > capital Colombo. This massive feat by disabled cricketers in an environment > that is not accessible at all, is hoped to give visibility and the > much-needed infrastructure to sportspersons with disabilities in the > country. > > > > The > > champion squad > > included 3 categories of players, which were: B1 Category: Simu Das, P. > Karuna Kumari, Anu Kumari, Jamuna Rani Tudu, Kavya V. B2 Category: Anekha > Devi, > > Basanti Hansdah, Simranjeet Kour, Sunita Sarathe, Parbati Marndi. B3 > Category: Deepika T C (Captain), Ganga S Kadam (Vice Captain), Phula Soren, > Kavya > > N R, Sushma Patel, Durga Yevle. > > > > 7. Sminu Jindal (Industrialist) > > Source: Conscious Carma > > Sminu Jindal is an Indian industrialist and an economic architect of > inclusion. She is the Founder-Chairperson of Svayam, an initiative for > accessibility > > rights. In 2025, Sminu Jindal helped mobilise the > > National Summit on Accessibility, > > where she successfully shifted the discourse from “social welfare” to an > economic imperative, identifying accessibility as a trillion-dollar growth > driver for India’s future development goals. > > > > 8. Preethi Pal (Athlete) > > Source: Olympics > > Preethi Pal hails from a farming community in a village in Uttar Pradesh’s > Muzaffarnagar. Now a star Olympian, Preethi, as a child, faced immense > challenges > > since she could > > barely walk. > > She received the honour of becoming India’s flagbearer for the World Para > Athletics Championships in 2025. A Paris Paralympic double bronze > medallist, Pal faced and overcame barriers in her journey from battling > cerebral palsy to becoming a sports icon for women in the country. > > > > A Paris Paralympic double bronze medallist, Pal faced and overcame > barriers in her journey from battling cerebral palsy to becoming a sports > icon for women > > in the country. > > > > With the outgoing year, these barrier-breaking stories dismantled the > global frameworks that are ableist and exclusive in their very nature and > called > > out India’s flawed development model. These pioneering women, with their > resilience, have given encouragement to other women and made efforts to > provide > > platforms to millions in the country. As is often said, their achievement > came not because of the system, but despite the system. They are finally > being > > heard and receiving the visibility that they deserve. The one thing common > in all these stories is that accessibility is not a privilege, nor a request > > but a democratic and constitutional right which every single Indian > citizen deserves and is a prerequisite for any modern and equitable society. > > The spirit we need to adhere to for the approaching year should be: the > right to move, the right to equal participation and above all, the right of > accessibility, > > which cannot be conditional and negotiable for any citizen, no matter > where they stand in the ableist social hierarchy. > > > > > https://feminisminindia.com/2025/12/22/8-women-with-disabilities-who-made-headlines-in-2025/#google_vignette > > > > > -- > > Regards > Sameer Latey > > -- > Disclaimer: > 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of > the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; > > 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails > sent through this mailing list.. > > > Search for old postings at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "AccessIndia" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion visit > https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/ab45b93c-cfc2-4277-b508-4098e5533c92%40gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/ab45b93c-cfc2-4277-b508-4098e5533c92%40gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list.. 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