Do you know the disability prevalence in India is 0.93% while 5.11% of Indian households have at least one person with any disability? Locomotor disability is the common type that prevails in India. It stands at 44.73% of all other disabilities in the country.  

The existence of locomotor disability is 901 cases in urban areas while 1046 cases in rural areas per 1,00,000 persons. Locomotor disability limits a person to move themselves from one place to another. It is caused by various issues either in the nervous system or the musculoskeletal system such as muscles, joints, and bones. 

Some other causes include accidents, polio, and degenerative bone conditions. Locomotor disability restricts the person’s freedom of movement and has a direct impact on their day-to-day activities, mental well-being, and overall development.

Keeping this in mind, an NGO known as the Aahwahan Foundation started a mission called ‘Sapnon Ke Sawari'. The mission aimed to empower differently abled people from underprivileged sections. It provided them with fully automated wheelchairs to give them the freedom to move at their convenience. The foundation aimed to offer a sense of independence to disabled people and remove them from the guilt or shame of being dependent on others.   

The Start

People suffering from any kind of locomotor disability face various challenges in their daily lives that a normal individual cannot even imagine. They face situations such as accessibility, social stigma, employment disparities, financial strains, and transportation challenges. Such people also have difficulty walking, sitting, standing, and performing activities in daily life.

Aahwahan Foundation is an NGO based in Bangalore formed in 2009. The foundation promotes the welfare of society, especially the economically backward sections. It works in various sectors such as employment opportunities, education, healthcare, women empowerment, and agriculture to eradicate poverty. 

The foundation’s efforts protect human rights by uplifting rural communities and expanding their opportunities. It has collaborated with associated partners to support the physically disabled individuals belonging to poorer sections of society. 

With this, it is trying to achieve the goal of human development and social progress. The foundation realized the plight of disabled persons and started the initiative ‘Sapnon Ke Sawari’ in November 2024. The initiative's goal is to provide freedom to disabled people from the chains of immobility and create greater opportunities for them in the form of education and employment.

Efforts

‘Sapnon Ke Sawari’ started by the Aahwahan Foundation is a commendable effort to restore not only physical ability but also the lost confidence among the disabled from the poorer sections of the society. 

The foundation and the volunteers identify beneficiaries of the automated wheelchair through rural visits, ongoing social interventions, and collaboration with orthopaedic and neurology departments of community welfare centres and government hospitals. 

Recently, the foundation partnered with CSR Initiative Partners and distributed 300 wheelchairs at Victoria Government Hospital in Bangalore to the recipients. The automated wheelchair enables users to ride up to 30 kilometres once it is fully charged.

The initiative has already started bringing hope and joy among the beneficiaries. The chair is not just a device for the recipients but a Sawari, a vehicle of dreams, offering a chance to get freedom from immobility. 

The foundation is making efforts to make a lasting impact on the community of differently abled. The efforts made by the Aahwahan Foundation are a tool to empower individuals and enable them to live a life with dignity and respect. 

The foundation is also working to offer education and employment opportunities to disabled persons so that they can earn their living and support their families.

Impact Created

Until now, the automated wheelchairs donated by the Aahwahan Foundation have empowered 784 disabled persons. With this, the foundation aims to influence 1000 more lives this year. The project ‘Sapnon Ke Sawari’ has had a significant impact on the lives of the differently abled. 

The wheelchairs helped disabled people especially those with severe motor or sensory restrictions perform daily activities easily. The chairs have returned the recipients' independence, dignity, and dreams to earn their livelihood. The disabled people who have been trapped in the cage of immobility were always deprived of little joys in their lives. 

However, people’s lives have changed after receiving the automated wheelchair. The chairs have opened the scope of a brighter future. The chairs have provided mobility aids and broken societal and financial barriers. This has increased the recipients’ confidence to live a normal life and opportunities to earn.

The automated wheelchairs that the Aahwahan Foundation has distributed to the locomoted disabled individuals have now given them the freedom to socialise and engage with the communities. 

It has enabled individuals to earn their living and raise their families’ living standards. The wheelchairs have given a sense of autonomy and well-being that has resulted in a higher self-esteem for the recipients. 

The project has been no less than a blessing for the differently abled belonging to underprivileged sections for whom living a normal life was once a challenging task. Now, with the chairs, they can live life on their terms without depending on others.  

Way Forward

Aahwahan Foundation has a vision to empower more and more disabled individuals by donating automated wheelchairs. It will continue to make efforts to empower individuals. The foundation has been playing a significant role in society's welfare since its launch in 2009. 

The foundation is working in various sectors to help the needy and eliminate poverty. It works in rural areas and enhances the rural economies through education, agriculture facilities, and women empowerment. The foundation and volunteers work tirelessly to help the poor and provide education to kids, and health to empower the poorer sections. 

The foundation has been committed to working for the community's welfare in a similar manner in the future. It has promised to provide support to the underprivileged sections. It will put sincere efforts into the overall community's well-being.