The 17th CavinKare Ability Awards 2019 saw some interesting and awe-inspiring personalities, who despite the challenges managed to stand out.
Bhargavi V. Davar from Pune, who was given the CavinKare Ability Special Recognition Award, comes from a family that has experienced violence and abuse within the country’s mental health system. Having been exposed to mental hospitals, shock treatment and confinement since childhood, she is passionate about systematically addressing the human rights gaps within the mental health system. She started the Bapu Trust for Research on Mind and Discourse in 1999 to give public vision and visibility to user/survivor-centred mental health advocacy.
Danish Mahajan from Punjab bagged the CavinKare Ability Award for Eminence for making a career for himself. Recognising the void in media attention on disability issues and programming for people with disabilities, he launched a 24x7 online radio service, Radio Udaan, which is a virtual lifeline for blind people. The show gives them them access to news, discussions on disability issues and chat shows. Almost all RJs of Radio Udaan are visually impaired.
ADVERTISEMENT
M. Venkatachalam from Gudiyatham, Tamil Nadu was honoured with the CavinKare Ability Mastery Award for his outstanding performance in para-athletics. He won several gold and silver medals at the 2018 International Para Games held in Thailand. Devender Pal Singh from Haryana and Akshay Bhatnagar from Jaipur were also given CavinKare Ability Mastery Awards. Devender is India’s first ever blade-runner and the founder of ‘The Challenging Ones’ that makes marathons a platform and a tool for perception building, besides nurturing para-athletes. Akshay is the first and only graduate with autism from Rajasthan so far.
C.K. Ranganathan, chairman and managing director, CavinKare said, “This award programme, over the years, has become a landmark for grit, courage and desire to achieve great heights by steadily overcoming barriers.”