Murali K and Sudha G are both hearing and speech impaired. “We met at a sports tournament in Delhi,” smiles Murali. “Later our families got to know each other and we got married. Fifteen years ago, we started the Deaf Leaders Foundation to educate and empower people with speech and hearing impairments. We dream of a day when everyone can understand sign language.” Murali and Sudha are among the 12 couples featured in the latest edition of the I’m Special calendar released by Swarga Foundation, which works to create awareness about neuro-muscular disorders.
Suresh Karat and his wife Jayashree are also among the models. A stroke left Suresh paralysed from neck down and “our life changed in a day,” says Jayashree. “His speech was affected and we could not communicate. Over the years we have developed a method to communicate with the movement of his eyes. Now, he is a blogger and writes two blogs in a month. He has equipment that can read his eye movement to select alphabets from the keypad,” says Jayashree. She says that their relationship has become stronger after his stroke. “I am more patient now. Our life is good,” she says.
Nishi and Shishir Bhatnagar got married in 2009 but, on their second wedding anniversary, Shishir had a fall and fractured his neck. “Ours was an arranged marriage. I was working in the merchant navy and Nishi is an interior designer. We spend the first two years of our marriage sailing around the world,” he recalls. “Now, I am paralysed below my chest and have limited hand movement. After the accident, I had to re-learn to brush, type and eat on my own. I now work for a shipping company.” Nishi is a baker and runs a store, Chocolate Therapy, in Delhi. “We have started to travel again. We visited a number of places around Delhi, Bengaluru and Pune and are planning to visit Singapore in January 2020. That will be our first international trip after the accident,” she says.
- The proceeds from the sale will be used to build a rehabilitation centre for people with neuro-muscular disorders.
- The calendar is available both as desktop (₹325) and wall-hanging (₹350) versions.
- Customisation for corporate companies with their logos is available.
- Visit www.swargafoundation.org or call 9843249854 for details
People with disabilities still wonder if they can marry, have a physical relationship or have children, says Swarnalatha J, managing trustee of Swarga Foundation. “The social stigma around people with disability is still prevalent. Though, it is getting better over the years, there is a long way to go.” The theme for the calendar is Love and Beyond and “it showcases achievers in different fields. We have writers, models, singers, social activists and many others,” says Swarnalatha. Twenty couples were shortlisted, she states, and were selected for their stories then photographed by Anand Daga.
The calendar was launched last Saturday at The Residency Towers by Dr RV Ramani, Founder and Managing Trustee of Sankara Eye Foundation; K Rajamani, District Collector; and Sumit Sharan, Commissioner of Police.